The Emory University baseball team fell in the series opener against WashU, 5-3 in 11 innings, Friday afternoon at Chappell Park in Atlanta.
After being limited to one run over their first seven innings, the Bears struck for two in the eighth and two more in the 11th to clinch the win to open the weekend series. With the defeat, the Eagles slip to 24-13 and 10-7 overall while the Bears match Emory at 24-13 on the season and now stand one game back in UAA play at 9-8.
Junior Josh Zuckerman was nails on the mound for the Eagles on Friday as he worked into the eighth inning for the first time this season as he was saddled with the no decision. In his outing, he allowed two runs on two hits and four walks while striking out three.
The contest was a pitcher's duel in the early stages as the score read 1-1 through six full frames with both sides scoring early.
The Bears fired the opening salvo as they took advantage of a hit-by-pitch and walk to score in the top of the first without the benefit of a hit.
Senior Jack Halloran recorded his 167th career RBI with a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the bottom of the third. It was the final play before the teams and patrons retreated to safety as the game went into a 45-minute weather delay. The RBI brings Halloran two shy of tying the all-time Emory record of 169.
When play resumed, the teams remained off the scoreboard until the bottom of the seventh when the Eagles padded their lead with senior Brok Liu racing home on a throwing error by the WashU pitcher prior to senior Matthew Sicoli plating sophomore Zach Hanson with a sac fly to make it 3-1.
Zuckerman led off the eighth with a free pass before being lifted for senior Bennett Speicher as he tried to lock down his ninth save of the season. Unlike most teams this season, WashU was able to get to the Emory closer, scoring twice in the inning to even the score at three.
The Eagles nearly ended the game in regulation as they used a single and back-to-back walks to load the bases in the ninth with the heart of the order due up. A pitching change prior to Sicoli's at bat worked in the Bears' favor as Parker Guthrie forced Sicoli into an inning-ending 5-2-3 double play and sent the game into extras.
Emory had another chance with another bases loaded opportunity in the 10th as WashU intentionally walked Liu to load the bases once again. Guthrie then retired Hanson on strikes to continue the game into the 11th.
Four straight one-out singles against Speicher put WashU ahead by a 5-3 margin prior to a 4-6-3 double play ended any additional chances for the Bears to add to their lead.
In the home half of the 11th, Guthrie secured the win as he sent down the Emory 1-2-3 hitters in order to end the game.
The Eagles will look to bounce back on Saturday with a doubleheader against the Bears starting at 12:00 PM. Prior to first pitch of game one, Emory will honor its 10-member senior class with a special on-field ceremony.
