The Emory University baseball team closed out the 2023 regular season on a powerful note Tuesday afternoon, defeating No. 19 ranked LaGrange College 10-6 in Atlanta.
The Eagles end the season winners of 18 of their final 21 games to finish with an overall record of 28-11 and conclude the home slate with a 19-5 record at the friendly confines of Chappell Park. It marks the eighth most wins at home in a season and the most since the 2007 club went 23-1 in Atlanta. LaGrange drops its third straight game and heads into its final series of the regular season at 25-12 overall.
As has been the case all year, the Eagles used the home run ball to muscle past the Panthers on Tuesday, launching four no doubters in the win. It is the sixth time this season Emory totaled three or more home runs in a game and now sit at 48 home runs through 39 games – the ninth most by a team in Division III this season and two shy of the program single-season record of 50 set in 1998.
Junior Tyler McLoughlin began the scoring with the first of his two deep drives in the game, blasting a two-run shot into the trees in left center in the second inning. Classmate Jacob Grossman followed with a RBI infield single to complete the three-run frame.
Emory eventual led 5-1 before the Panthers' bats awoke in the middle innings, scoring in three straight to even the score at 5-5 in the top of the seventh. The deadlock was short lived as senior Henry Pelinski became the second Eagle this season to reach the softball field with a towering solo moonshot. Pelinski's blast cleared both scoreboards in right and landed on the warning track of right field on Cooper Field.
The Emory leaders in home runs did it again in the eighth to seal the victory as McLoughlin and sophomore Jack Halloran went back-to-back, driving in four runs to put the game out of reach. Trying to keep pace with McLoughlin who went yard earlier, Halloran delivered with a three-run bomb over the 365 sign in left center. Not to be out done though, McLoughlin smoked his second of the day a few pitches later for his 12th blast of the year – moving him into sole possession of second place on the Emory all-time single-season list.
McLoughlin currently stands fifth on the Emory career list with 18 while Halloran climbs to seventh on the all-time ladder with 14 through his two seasons of work.
To go along with his work at the plate, McLoughlin earned his third win on the mound as he grinded through 2.1 innings in the late stages of the contest. Senior Aaron Mishoulam, pitching on three days rest, spun four innings of scoreless ball as he drew the start. Classmate Joey Bock, who earned the win on Saturday in his senior day start, made his first relief appearance since the 2021 season as he was called upon to get the final two outs in the ninth.
With the regular season concluded, the Eagles will now await to hear their NCAA tournament fate when the regional brackets are announced on Monday, May 15. Be sure to stay up to date with Emory Athletics on social media as well as emoryathletics.com for any future information.