Case Western Reserve University took the final two games of the four-game weekend series against the Emory University Baseball team Saturday afternoon at Chappell Park in Atlanta, GA.
Game One – Case Western Reserve 11, Emory 2
The Spartans offense busted out for 11 runs on 16 hits while limiting Emory to two runs on five hits as CWRU won the first game of the doubleheader by the nine-run margin.
Senior Wilson Morgan collected two of the five Eagles hits in the contest and drove in a run while junior Bubby Terp was 1-for-3 with one RBI to lead the Emory offense.
Fellow senior Jackson Weeg dropped his fourth decision of the year as he allowed four runs on six hits and three walks in 4.1 innings pitched. In the top of the first, Weeg picked off CWRU's Tony Damiano to end the inning. The pick off was Weeg's 22nd of his career, surpassing Jared Welch's total for the most in program history.
Terp provided the game's first run as he recorded a sac fly to center which brought home classmate Nick Chambers. The score remained 1-0 until Case Western Reserve scratched across two runs off Weeg in both the fourth and fifth innings.
Emory cut the deficit to 6-2 in the eighth as Morgan singled to center to bring home Chambers. The Spartans however scored five in response in the top of the ninth to put the game out of reach.
Game Two – Case Western Reserve 20, Emory 15
Game two was a battle of attrition as the two ball clubs traded barbs for over four hours on the diamond in the series finale. A total of 12 pitchers were used with over 400 pitches thrown as the two teams combined for 35 runs on 33 hits and 20 walks.
Senior Jeff Ronpirin registered team-highs with four hits and four RBIs for the Emory offense. Terp added two RBIs as he finished game two 2-for-5 at the dish. All nine Eagles starters worked a walk including Chambers, junior Mitch Kerner and sophomores NJ Kim and David Draper earning a pair of base on balls.
With the score tied 2-2 entering the fifth inning, the two UAA programs tallied 14 runs in the frame. The Spartans scored six in the top of the inning, including three on a bases-clearing double by Tyler Wypiszenski and two more on a single by Rocco Maue, taking an 8-2 lead into the bottom of the frame. Emory responded with eight runs, including seven with two outs, to regain a lead, 10-8. With the bases loaded and two outs in the inning and the score at 8-3, CWRU pitching walked four straight Emory batters to make it a one-run ballgame. Following a balk which forced in Chambers to tie the score, Terp doubled to deep left center, plating Ronpirin and Morgan.
The Eagles used another big inning in the eighth to once again move in front as Emory scored four times to build a 15-12 advantage. Sophomore Eric Terry had a sacrifice fly to left to bring home the tying run in Draper. After Chambers worked a walk, Morgan hit a sharp ground ball towards first that went through the legs of the CWRU's first basemen and into right field, allowing sophomore Jackson Grayson to score the go-ahead run. Ronpirin followed with a two-run single to score Chambers and Morgan.
Unfortunately, the three-run buffer was not enough as the Spartans struck for eight runs in the ninth off senior Kyle Monk and sophomore Charlie Redovian. Monk, who pitched a seven-inning complete game on Friday, suffered his first loss of the season as he was called upon to try and save the game due to the depleted Emory bullpen.
The Eagles continue their UAA stretch of play as they travel to St. Louis, MO next weekend for four games against the Washington University Bears. First pitch in game one is set for 3:00 PM CST on Friday.