The Emory University baseball team earned a Saturday split with New York University as the University Athletic Association series continued at SIUH Community Park in Staten Island, New York.
After erupting for 14 runs in the opener on Friday, the Emory bats were silenced in the first game of the afternoon as the Violets claimed game two by a 12-1 margin in seven innings. But the Eagles were not quiet for long, busting out for double digits once more as they posted 13 runs in a six-run win to take a 2-1 series lead into Sunday's finale.
Game 1: NYU 12, Emory 1 (7 innings)
The Eagles scored first on Saturday as junior Matthew Sicoli brought home senior Jacob Grossman with a groundout in the top of the first. Despite grabbing the early lead, it was all Violets for the rest of the contest.
The first seven hitters reached base safely to begin the start of the home first, scoring six times to chase starter Josh Zuckerman from the game before recording an out. The Violets tacked on more runs in the fourth and fifth before reaching the 10-run rule mark with a two-run home run from Cam Dunn in the bottom of the seventh.
Emory was held to just five hits in the game, coming from five different bats, and drew six walks as a team. Grossman had the team's lone extra-base hit, notching a double in his first at bat before coming around to score.
Game 2: Emory 13, NYU 7
It was a different story in the second game of the afternoon as the Eagles doubled their run production in the opening frame, en route to eventually opening the game with a 7-0 lead.
Sicoli and freshman Aidan Conley each had RBIs in the first before Grossman launched a two-run home run in the second. Emory manufactured three more runs in the fourth as freshman Jake Lawson drew a HBP with the bases loaded prior to Sicoli and junior Jack Halloran followed with a sac fly and groundout.
The Violets finally got to starter Ryan Reynolds in the fourth as Reynolds had retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced as he carried a shutout into the fourth.
Halloran made it 8-3 in the sixth with a double to plate Sicoli but NYU responded with two more runs in the bottom of the inning.
The Eagles sealed the win in the eighth inning with four more runs crossing home plate. Graduate student Nick Wilson worked a bases loaded walk before junior Jonah Wronski plated a pair with his single to center.
Halloran made it a 13-5 ballgame with his third RBI of the game in the ninth. NYU cut it 13-7 with a two-run double with two outs in the ninth before Connor Skertich got the final out of the game.
Reynolds improved to 3-2 with his outing, giving up five runs in 5.2 innings. He struck out two and walked two.
Halloran was one of seven Emory bats to record at least one RBI in the win, going 2-for-5. Grossman had another big game at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI, two walks, three runs and one steal. Wronski collected three hits for the first time in his career, posting a 3-for-5 line and scored twice.
Emory looks to close out the series win on Sunday when the finale gets underway at 11:00 AM on Staten Island.