The Emory University baseball team celebrated its Senior Day with a doubleheader sweep of the Brandeis University Judges Saturday afternoon at Chappell Park in Atlanta.
The Eagles survived a ninth-inning rally in the first game of the day to win 11-9 before securing a 14-7 verdict in the second game. With the two victories, the Eagles improved to 23-14-1 overall, 9-5-1 in UAA play, ahead of tomorrow's finale. Brandeis now stands 5-30 on the year and 0-15 in conference games.
Prior to the start of the twinbill, Emory recognized its graduating class of Matthew Culbert, Jacob Grossman, Steven Hunt, Derek Livingston, Connor Skertich, Zac Schultz, Nick Wilson, Walker Woolf with a special on-field ceremony.
Game 1 – Emory 11, Brandeis 9
After being shutout in the series opener on Friday, the Judges were the first to strike on Saturday as they scored four runs in the first to take their first lead of the weekend at 4-0.
The lead would not last for long as the Eagles answered with four runs in their half of the first. Junior Matthew Sicoli plated Emory's first run with a sac fly before Wilson connected on his first home run in Blue & Gold, depositing a three-run shot over the fence in left center to even the score at 4-4.
Emory tacked on another run in the third before scoring four more times in the fourth. Freshman Trevor McAndrews brought home two with a double for the big hit in the inning.
Two more runs came across in the fifth, giving Emory 11 unanswered runs to move in front at 11-4.
Brandeis showed extreme life though during their final at-bats, sending 11 batters to plate in the ninth to call junior Bennett Speicher to the mound for the impromptu save situation. Speicher allowed a run-scoring hit to the first Brandeis batter he saw before striking out the next hitter for his fourth save of the year.
The save preserved the decision for sophomore Josh Zuckerman as he claimed his fifth win of the season. In five innings of work, Zuckerman allowed three earned runs on four hits and four walks. He struck out six in the outing, collecting his 100th career strikeout in the process.
Game 2 – Emory 14, Brandeis 7
In the second game, the Eagles raced out to a big lead early before having to withstand another late rally from the Judges.
Freshman Aidan Conley provided the spark early as he had a two-run triple in the first inning before clearing the bases with a double in the third to push Emory ahead 5-0. The five RBI marked a new career-high for the rookie.
The Judges scraped across one run in the fourth before the Emory bats exploded for seven runs in the fifth inning. Following a sac fly from sophomore Adam Geller, Woolf had the highlight of his afternoon with a two-run double to left center. With two outs, the Eagles cashed in with four more runs as freshman Jake Lawson singled home Woolf and Sicoli worked a bases loaded walk. Junior Jack Halloran blooped a single to left to score Grossman prior to sophomore Adrien Armstrong coming home on a wild pitch for the team's 12th run.
With a 12-1 run lead, the Judges began to chip away at the Emory lead against the Eagles bullpen. Brandeis scored four times in the seventh and once more in the eighth to make it 11-6.
The Eagles picked up two much needed insurance runs in the eighth as junior Jonah Wronski scored two with his single to center.
Brandeis sent six more batters to the plate in the ninth but a double play induced by junior Ryan Kelly helped limit the damage, making the final margin 14-7.
Junior Ryan Reynolds had his best outing of the year, working six innings of one-run ball in his final appearance of the season. Reynolds allowed just one run on three hits and two walks while striking out five as he won his fourth decision.
The Eagles look to go for another sweep of the Judges on Sunday with the series finale set to start at 11:00 AM in Atlanta.