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.