Eastern University Baseball used a five run sixth inning to break a 3-3 tie and then held off a King's rally to earn an 8-7 home win. ScottRenauro drove in three runs in the win.

The visiting Monarchs (10-4, 5-1), who swept yesterday's doubleheader, opened the scoring with a single tally in the first and two more in the second. Eastern starter NickMoeltner then settled in and did not allow another run until the eighth inning. The freshman right- hander allowed five runs over seven and a third innings to earn his second win of the year.

Eastern (7-7, 2-4 Freedom)  then scratched out single tallies in the second, third, and fourth innings. Kurt Kebaugh scampered home on a Renauro ground out in the second, and Ramon Reyes drove in Dan Garcia with a two-out single in the third. After the first two batters went down in the bottom of the fourth, Joel Rios singled and stole second.Renauro then extended his hitting streak to nine games and drove home Rios with a sharply hit single.

Moeltner, meanwhile, had settled into the game. He escaped minor jams in the fifth and sixth with double plays. The top of the fifth inning ended with a line drive double play to third base, and the sixth ended asRenauro and Rios turned a nifty 6-4-3 twin killing.

The Eagles squandered an opportunity in the fifth, but they saw enough pitches to force King's to go to the bullpen. The Eastern hitters welcomed the new pitcher to the game with three straight doubles. André Butler led off with his first extra base hit of the year, and Rios knocked him in. Renauro then smashed his team-best seventh best two base hit of the year to put the Eagles up 5-3.

Garcia then delivered the big blow of the inning with a two-run blast. The Eagles then used three singles to score what proved to be the game-winner on a KurtKebaugh single.

Moeltner pitched an efficient seventh before getting into trouble with one out in the eighth. Kyle Kurdewan got the first batter he faced to hoist a high fly to foul ground in right that scored a run. King's then put together three straight singles to close the gap to 8-6. 

Eastern Coach Matt Midkiff then moved Rios to the mound to try to stop the rally. Rios gave up a looping single to center before finishing the inning with fly to center. Midkiff said of the uncomfortable eighth, "Kyle made some good pitches in the inning, but they were able to fight them off. Joel did a nice job." 

The drama was not yet over as Chris Sweeney singled to lead off the ninth for the guests. He then advanced to second as Rios, who spends the majority of his time as a third baseman, wheeled to throw to first with a bunt defense. Rather than throw the ball to an uncovered base, Rios held it, but the runner still got the base on the balk. 

Rios then fell behind in the count to Eric Matula. The Monarch first baseman smashed a line drive that Bill Brim grabbed and flipped to Renauro for the Eagles' third double play of the day. Midkiff said of the play, "It's funny how stuff like that evens out. They get a couple hits without great contact in the eighth, and we get out of a big jam on that shot in the ninth."

Rios got the final out to pick up his second save of the season. The win lifts the Eagles back to the .500 mark and is the second in the Freedom Conference. The Eagles return to action with three road games next week.

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