Emory University senior Chris Monaco threw five innings of four-hit baseball, and senior third baseman Andrew Cohn went three-for-four with four RBIs, as the Eagles earned a 14-4 opening day victory over Oglethorpe University at Chappell Park on Saturday.

Monaco earned the victory in the game, allowing just two runs, while striking out four batters.  He retired the leadoff batter in all five innings he worked, and retired the Oglethorpe side in order in both the first and fourth innings.

After Monaco's one-two-three first inning, the Eagles wasted little time getting on the board, loading the bases with one out and scoring their first run on a sacrifice fly from Cohn.  The next batter, senior right fielder Patrick Riebsame, doubled in two more runs, giving the Eagles' a 3-0 lead after one frame. 

The Eagles would take a 6-0 lead in the third inning off an RBI double from junior second baseman Kevin O'Connor, a bases-loaded walk drawn by sophomore designated hitter Daniel Iturrey and a sacrifice fly off the bat of freshman catcher Jared Welch.  Oglethorpe would pull to within three with two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth, but Emory capitalized off a five-run sixth inning to put the game out of reach, highlighted by a two-run double for Cohn.  The Eagles added a three-run seventh inning to secure the victory.

Emory freshman Matt McMahon, junior Ryan Orlovsky, and sophomore Mike Bitanga, all pitching in their first games as Eagles, combined to allow two hits and two runs in four innings in relief of Monaco.

Junior shortstop Jonathan Reilly scored four runs in the contest and matched a school-record in the game by getting hit by three pitches, marking the second-consecutive year than an Eagle had tied the record in the category on opening day against Oglethorpe.  The Eagles totaled 17 hits in the contest, matching the seventh-highest single-game total in school history.

For Oglethorpe, starting pitcher Neil Amos took the loss, as the Stormy Petrels dropped to 0-2 on the season.

The opening day victory was the team's first since the 2007, and marked the most runs in an opening day game by Emory since the team defeated Washington and Lee 15-2 in the opening game of the 2000 season.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow at 1:00 PM, as the Eagles will travel across town to Oglethorpe for the second game of the home-and-home series to open the campaign.