The Emory University baseball team suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the bottom of the ninth inning on Saturday, losing 4-3 to 26^th-ranked Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC.

Junior third baseman Andrew Cohn led the Eagles in the game with three hits, and four other Emory players picked up two hits in the game.  The Eagles totaled 12 hits in the game, while holding the Monarchs to just six, the second lowest this season by the Emory pitching staff.

Emory took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, when a one-out bases loaded single from Gabe Shivers scored Andrew Cohn for the first run of the game.

Emory starter Paul Schwendel would keep the Monarchs off the board until the fifth inning, when Methodist picked up an RBI double from Trey Such and a sacrifice fly from Brian Halpin.  However, the Eagles would answer right back in the top of the sixth, scoring runs on singles from Shivers and Ryan Jones to take a 3-2 lead.

Schwendel would leave with the lead after five and a third innings, allowing just two runs on three hits, while scattering seven walks and striking out three.

Emory senior Brian Cournoyer would enter the game with one out and one on in the sixth inning, and quickly got two more outs to end the frame.  Cournoyer would escape trouble with inning-ending double plays in both the seventh with the bases loaded, and again with one and one out in the eighth, to protect the one-run Emory lead.

However, Eagles’ closer Zeb Heidt entered the game in the ninth inning, but issued a walk with one out, and two more with two outs to load the bases.  Senior Will Gumm would then enter the game and give up the walk off two-RBI double to Brian Goodwin to end the game.  Heidt took the loss for Emory, falling to 1-3 on the season.

Emory dropped to 14-17 with the loss, while Methodist improved to 23-8 with the win.  Emory is now 0-5 in one run games this season.

The Eagles will wrap up their two-game series with the Monarchs tomorrow, as the two teams will face off in Fayetteville, NC at 2:00 PM.