Emory University’s Patrick Riebsame and Kevin O’Connor each hit a two-run home run, keying the Eagles offensive outburst in their 10-7 win at Huntingdon College on Wednesday.

The Eagles improved to 8-4 this season with the victory, putting an end to a three-game losing streak with the squad’s first victory away from Chappell Park during the campaign.  Huntingdon, which received votes in the last D3baseball.com/NCBWA poll, dropped to 10-4 with the loss.

Emory got on the board in the top of the second inning, as Riebsame hit his second home run of the year with one out in the inning.  Senior Andrew Cohn, who singled and stole second earlier in the inning, scored on the play as well to give the Eagles an early 2-0 lead.

The Eagles added to their lead in the top of the third, as freshman catcher Jared Welch picked up a two-out bases-loaded double down the leftfield line, scoring O’Connor, Cohn and Riebsame, giving him a team-best 11 RBIs this season.  Junior Jay Page followed Welch’s hit with a double of his own to score the catcher, and boost Emory’s lead to 6-0.

Huntingdon fired back with two runs in the bottom of the third, but Emory starter Paul Schwendel worked around a two-out bases loaded situation to escape the inning without any further damage. 

Emory answered back again in the top of the fourth.  After senior Ryan Jones led the inning off with a triple, O’Connor hit the second two-run home run of the game for the Eagles, extending the lead back to six runs.  Senior Jonathan Reilly followed with a single, advancing to third on a throwing error by the Hawks’ catcher, and eventually scoring on a sacrifice fly off Cohn’s bat, giving the Eagles a 9-2 advantage.  Emory added on another run in the fifth with Page’s first-career triple, followed by a RBI single from freshman Brandon Hannon.

O’Connor finished the game three-for-four with a double, a home run, two runs scored and two runs batted in.

Schwendel would go on to pitch six innings for the Eagles, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits, with four strikeouts and four walks.  Huntingdon would add on two more runs in the bottom off the seventh off junior Ryan Orlovsky, but freshman Jason Edwards was able to get the final two outs of the inning without any addition runs scoring.  Huntingdon would get another run in the eighth, but Emory would hold on for the victory.

Schwendel earned the win for Emory, improving to 2-1 on the season.  Sophomore Mike Bitanga closed out the game for his third save of the year for the Eagles.

The Eagles will return home to Chappell Park on Friday to face Capital University at 2:00 PM.