The fifth-ranked Emory University baseball team suffered its second straight defeat on Friday night, falling to top-ranked NAIA program Georgia Gwinnett College 14-3. The Eagles are 27-9 on the season entering the final week of the regular season while the Grizzles improve to 43-4 in 2016.

The Eagles pitching staff gave up 14 hits and 13 walks as Emory allowed the most runs in a game this season in the loss. Senior Paul Merolla was issued his first defeat of his senior as he was charged with five runs (3 ER) in four innings of work. Merolla began the game strong, throwing three scoreless innings but the Grizzles got to him for five runs in the fourth to chase him from the contest.

The Eagles struck first in the game, scoring twice in the first inning to open the game with a 2-0 advantage. Junior Wilson Morgan doubled to score senior David Coble who led off the game with a walk. Junior Philip Maldari later plated Morgan in the frame with a two-out single.

Georgia Gwinnett responded with 12 unanswered runs over the course of the fourth, fifth and sixth to stake claim to a 12-2 lead. Emory added its third run in the seventh as freshman David Draper picked up a run scoring single to bring home classmate Sam Brzowski. GGC would go on to plate two more runs in the seventh and eighth to provide the 14-3 final.

The Eagles will travel crosstown in a rematch against Oglethorpe on Tuesday night before closing out the regular season with a three game series with Piedmont next weekend.