Junior Jackson Weeg turned in a masterful performance on Wednesday night as the #7/8 Emory University baseball team snapped its two-game losing skid with a 10-1 victory over crosstown foe Oglethorpe University. The Eagles move to 28-9 with the victory while the Stormy Petrels drop to 19-21.
Weeg tossed seven strong innings to earn his seventh victory of the season. He allowed just an unearned run on three hits and two walks while tying his career-high in strikeouts with 10. After giving up a run in the third inning, the Woodstock, GA native settled into cruise control for the remainder of the outing, retiring 14 of the last 15 batters he faced including 11 straight.
With the 10 punchouts, the junior southpaw became just the 10th pitcher in program history to record at least 200 strikeouts in a career. Weeg now sits in 10th place all-time with 204 Ks.
The Eagles opened the scoring with three runs coming across in the second inning. Senior Chris Slivka manufactured Emory's first run as he stole second and third after reaching on a single through the left side. Junior Chris Young brought him home with a single to left. Sophomore Bubby Terp then hit his second home run of his career to make it 3-0.
Emory extended its lead to 5-0 in the third inning as Slivka picked up a RBI on a sac fly to right to score junior Brian Hernandez. Sophomore Nick Chambers drove in the second run in the frame reaching on a fielder's choice to short with junior Wilson Morgan scoring on the play.
Following Oglethorpe cutting the lead to just four runs at 5-1 in the bottom of the third, Emory got the run back in the fourth as senior David Coble manufactured a run of his own as he walked then stolen second. He then advanced to third on a wild pitch and was able to scamper home on the play an arrant throw by the Stormy Petrel's catcher.
The Eagles added a run to their ledger in the seventh as Slivka collected another run scoring hit as he singled off the pitcher to bring home junior Philip Maldari. Emory tacked on two more runs in the eighth as Morgan had a sac fly to right to plate senior Dylan Eisner and Hernandez later scored as Maldari reached on error by the third basemen.
The Blue & Gold made it 10-1 in the top of the ninth as freshman Sam Brzowski was able to score as sophomore Josh Rosenblatt grounded out to second with the bases loaded.
Sophomore Mack Wilkins and Danny Kerning closed out the contest on the mound for Emory. Both pitchers tossed perfect stanzas, combining for three strikeouts.
The Eagles will wrap out the regular season this weekend with a three-game series against Piedmont College with Saturday's tilt being played at Chappell Park beginning at 3:00 PM. Before the start of the ballgame, seniors Coble, Eisner, Jack Karras, Paul Merolla, Slivka and Ben Vizvary will be honored with a pregame ceremony.