Standout pitching performances plus timely hitting led the Emory University Baseball team to a pair of victories over Case Western Reserve University in the UAA opener Friday afternoon at Chappell Park in Atlanta.
In the first game of the day, sophomore David Draper set a career-high with five RBIs in a 3-for-4 effort while senior Kyle Monk pitched a complete game in his first collegiate start as Emory defeated the Spartans 11-1 in seven innings.
In the night cap, sophomore Billy Dimlow and freshman Richard Brereton combined for the seven-hit shutout as the Eagles downed CWRU 4-0. Draper tallied another three-hit game at the plate with classmate NJ Kim driving in a pair, finishing 2-for-3 at the dish.
Game 1 – Emory 11, Case Western Reserve 1 (7 inn.)
Draper and senior Jeff Ronpirin combined to drive in eight runs as the Eagles mercy-ruled the Spartans in the series opener. Ronpirin drove in three of the team's first four runs before Draper helped put the game away in the later innings with his five RBIs.
The big blow came with two outs in the bottom of the seventh as Draper launched a grand slam over the left field fence scoring Kim, senior Chris Young and junior Bubby Terp. The home run, the first of Draper's career, acted as the game-winner as it put Emory in front 11-1, forcing the UAA's observation of the mercy rule (10-run lead, seventh inning or later) into effect and ending the contest.
The runs were more than plenty for Monk as he was lights out on the mound to collect his team-leading sixth win of the season. Monk silenced the Spartan hitters in his seven-inning complete game, allowing one run on three hits and striking out seven. He retired the first seven batters he faced before back-to-back hits in the third led to CWRU's only run.
Game 2 – Emory 4, Case Western Reserve 0
Dimlow and Case Western Reserve starter, Mark Gross, were matched up in a pitcher's duel in the second game of the afternoon as the two pitchers traded zeroes for the first five and half innings.
Emory broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth, pushing across three runs. The Eagles loaded the bases with no one out to begin the frame as seniors Brian Hernandez and Philip Maldari worked back-to-back walks before Draper reached on a perfect bunt up the third base line. Junior Mitch Kerner drove the first pitch he saw to centerfield allowing Hernandez to tag and score the game's first run. Kim followed with a two-run single, lining a 2-1 offering over the third basemen's head and into the left field corner. Maldari added a run-scoring single in the seventh to provide the 4-0 final margin.
Dimlow pitched eight scoreless innings as he improved to 5-0 on the season. Dimlow allowed just six hits while racking up eight strikeouts for the fifth time this season. The eight innings with no runs allowed is longest such outing so far in Sammamish, WA native's career.
Emory and Case Western Reserve conclude their four-game series tomorrow afternoon with another doubleheader beginning at noon.