Emory University junior Chris Monaco, sophomore Connor McGuiness and freshman Caleb Long combined to pitch the Eagles’ second shutout of the season, leading the team to a 5-0 win over Atlanta Christian College at Chappell Park on Wednesday.

Each of the three pitchers threw three shutout innings during the game.  Monaco started for Emory, allowing two runs and a walk, while striking out a batter.  McGuiness pitched the middle three frames, giving up just one hit and a walk, while striking out a batter as well.  Long rounded out the game by retiring the first seven batters he faced, giving up just one hit and striking out three.

Although Monaco did not pitch five innings, the usual prerequisite for earning a victory, he was credited with the victory because the pitching schedule for the game was planned out by Emory head coach Mike Twardoski prior to the start.  Monaco improved to 2-3 on the season, while Long earned his first collegiate save by virtue of throwing the final three innings.

The four hits allowed by the three Emory pitchers are the fewest by the Eagles’ staff this season.  It is the lowest total since April 28, 2009, when Emory held North Georgia College to three hits, en route to a 6-3 win.

At the plate, the Eagles got off to a quick start after leadoff hitter Andrew DeYoung singled to open the bottom of the first, followed immediately by an RBI triple for Gabe Shivers.  Junior Patrick Riebsame would in turn drive in Shivers with a sacrifice fly, putting the Eagles up 2-0.  After Andrew Cohn single, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball, he would score of a perfectly executed bunt single down the third-base line from Dan Molnar, making it a 3-0 contest after one innings.

The Eagles added on a run in the third on an RBI single from Cohn, scoring Shivers, and another in the seventh on a Shivers sacrifice fly.

Shivers finished the day three-for-three, raising his batting average to a team-best .415.  DeYoung, Cohn, Molnar and Matt Fennell each added on two hits as well for Emory.   The Eagles also stole five bases during the game, tying a season-best mark.

The win also keeps Emory’s hopes alive for an above-.500 season, as the team improved to 18-19 with two games remaining, both against sixth-ranked Birmingham Southern College.  Atlanta Christian dropped to 24-23 on the season with the loss.

The Eagles will open their home-and-away series with Birmingham Southern on Saturday at 1:30 PM in Birmingham, AL.