ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– Coming into this weekend, the Eastern University baseball team knew they needed to win at least 3-of-5 games to keep post-season hopes alive. The Eagles fell 7-4 in the series opener at DeSales on Friday and saw a close game get away in the first game of today's home doubleheader. So the pressure had reached a critical point in the nightcap, when the Eagles came to bat trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth. The Eagles kept themselves in the race with an incredible eight-run inning and held on to win 8-5.
"That was a lot of pent-up frustration that came out all at once," Head Coach Jed Morris said after the win.

The Eagles managed only three hits and wasted a solid start from Anthony Vlahovic in an 8-0 shutout loss in the opener. The top six hitters in the Eastern lineup went hitless as DeSales starter Adam Donovan went the distance. Vlahovic gave up a single run in the first inning and then kept the Bulldogs off the board until the seventh. DeSales loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, but the freshman left-hander induced ground ball right to Joe DeLos Santos at third. He fired home and Timmy Gorton snapped a throw down to first to complete the inning-ending double play.

There would be no such miracle escapes in the seventh. The Bulldogs put the game out of reach with seven runs in the inning.

Game two seemed like the sequel of the same movie. Josh Freed started the game and kept the Bulldogs off the board until the fourth inning. With the help of a couple fielding miscues, the Bulldogs put up three runs on three hits and seemed to be in control of the game. Going into the sixth, the Eagles had only three hits against DeSales' starter Steven Wallace. 

Gorton started the rally with a solid single down the right-field line. After a wild pitch from Wallace, Joe Grato singled to left to move Gorton to third. De Los Santos walked to load the bases, and Shane Albertson, who had two hits in the first game, hit a fly-ball that was not deep enough to drive in Gorton.

The Eagles got the break they needed when Andrew Check hit a ground ball to the right of the first baseman. He made the clean stop and tried to get De Los Santos at second. The throw went wide, and everyone was safe. The window of opportunity opened and the Eagles walked through it. Andrew Boykin smashed a single up the middle to drive in a run and chase Wallace from the game.

Evan Fraser entered the game and induced a ground ball to first for a force at home for the second out of the inning. The Eagles still had the bases loaded, but were down to their final out in the inning.

All year, the motto for the Eastern team has been, "Learn to start a fire with one match, because someday you might only have one match."

Craig Stanley delivered a single to left to tie the game. Angelo Kelly kept the hits coming with his 52nd hit of the season. Check and Tommy Strazza reached on his hit. As soon as Check crossed the plate he headed to the bullpen to warm up to close. Gorton doubled to the wall in left-center to drive in Stanley and Kelly for what would prove to be important insurance runs. Grato closed out the inning with an RBI-double down the right-field line. The double was the 16th of the year for the senior. He has 44 hits in his first 99 at bats.

Check came on to close. DeSales scored twice, but Check was able to finish the game with a strike out.

"Check did not have his best stuff," pitching coach Blake Smith said the end of the game, "but he battled and got the outs. He's the guy we want to get to." Jake Bunjo, Check's replacement in centerfield made a pair of catches in the inning.

The Eagles (14-17-3, 7-9 MAC Freedom) have a tough task ahead of them with two games at FDU-Florham tomorrow. They do, however, control their own destiny. If they sweep their final five games, they will end up tied with Manhattanville in the standings and will, barring any strange three-way ties, own the tiebreaker. The only other team the Eagles can catch is King's. The Monarchs have a full game lead and own the tiebreaker by virtue of their series win over Eastern. If the Eagles drop one of their remaining five games, they would need King's to lose three times.

Kelly moves into the third spot on Eastern's single-season hits list. Gorton is tied for fourth in single-season RBI's.

The first pitch is scheduled for 11 tomorrow morning.