Emory University recorded season-highs with 17 runs and 19 hits en route to the squad's second-straight win over a nationally-ranked opponents, as the Eagles bested sixth-ranked Piedmont College 17-9 at Chappell Park on Saturday.

The Eagles improved to 18-7 on the year with the victory, the team's seventh-straight and 12^th win in their last 13 contests.  Piedmont dropped its second-straight, falling to 19-8 on the year.

The Eagles were able to jump on top of one of the best starting pitchers in the region, Piedmont's Kevin Caldwell, scoring 11 runs on 15 hits off the junior.  Caldwell entered the game having allowed just 13 runs on 34 hits through 53.2 innings this season.

Emory's offense was clicking from the start, notching three-straight hits to start the game, and scoring on a ground ball double play and a double from senior Jay Page to take a 2-0 lead after an inning.  The Eagles' early lead would be short-lived, however, as Piedmont scored three runs on five hits in the top of the second off Emory starter Ben Hinojosa, gaining a 3-2 advantage.

The Eagles tied the game in the bottom of third on Page's second RBI hit of the day, and took the lead later in the inning when senior Kevin O'Connor alertly scored from second base on an error from the Piedmont shortstop.  Emory added to its lead with four runs in the fourth, including RBIs from junior Daniel Iturrey, Page, O'Connor and junior Maxim Sankey in the inning, grabbing an 8-3 advantage over the Lions.

Piedmont again narrowed the gap to 8-5 after a two-run home run from Curtis Cornett in the fifth, but an RBI double from Jared Welch and a two-RBI double from Page raised Emory's advantage to 11-5 after five innings.

The Eagles added on another run in the bottom of the seven on Iturrey's first career home run, a solo shot off the netting beyond the right field wall, and five more in the bottom of the eighth, including two off a double from senior Jonathan Sholar and another off freshman Matt Kohn's first career hit.  The Lions picked up a pair of runs in each of the eighth and ninth innings, but it was too little too late for Piedmont.

Page finished the game three-for-five with two doubles, and matches his season-high with five RBIs in the game.  He raised his batting average to .323 for the season, and lead all Emory players with 24 RBIs this season. 

Freshman Brett Lake added a four-for-five performance, while sophomore Brandon Hannon had three hits of his own and four runs scored, and Welch and Iturrey each had a pair of hits and two RBIs. 

Hinojosa earned the win for Emory to improve to 4-1 on the season, allowing five runs on nine hits over six and two-thirds innings.  Caldwell took the loss for Piedmont, dropping to 5-2 on the year.

Emory and Piedmont will resume the series with a doubleheader tomorrow in Demorest, GA, starting at 2:00 PM.