Fort Pierce, Fla.– Eastern University Baseball rallied from an early three-run deficit to beat Houghton College, 11-3. The Eastern hitters pounded 17 hits, and the bullpen did not allow a run in seven innings of relief.
The Eagles put a pair of runners on in the first, but the Highlanders escaped damage with a double-play and a fly ball to left. Houghton took advantage of a leadoff triple and scored three runs on a pair of hits in the bottom of the first. The Eagles put a couple more runners on in the second but again were unable to score.
Starting pitcher
Grant Fisher escaped a bases-loaded no-out jam in the bottom of the second. After three Houghton batters drew walks, Fisher induced an infield pop up and then a double-play ball.
After the Eagles went quietly in the third,
Joe Clancy entered the game with the Eagles down three runs. The senior right-hander worked an efficient inning to get the Eastern bats back to the plate. The bottom of the fourth would prove to be the turning point of the game.
Shane Albertson reached on a bunt single and
Kyle Daddario moved him to third with a single up the middle.
Andrew Boykin drove in the first Eastern run of the game with a single up the middle.
Timmy Gorton, who had entered the game to catch Clancy, singled up the middle to bring the Eagles within a run.
Troy Naiden moved Boykin and Gorton into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, but
Craig Stanley popped out to second for the second out of the inning.
Zach Belansek delivered a two-out two-RBI single to left to put the Eagles up 4-3. After Belansek stole second, Jordon Laboy delivered the thrid two-out RBI of the day with another single to left. The Eagles scored five runs on six hits and an error in the inning.
"We got a lot of hits in the inning," Head Coach
Jed Morris said of the fourth, "but starting with Shane's drag bunt and continuing into our stolen bases, I thought we sdid a really good job putting pressure on their defense."
Clancy set the Highlanders down in order in the fourth.
"Clancy was determined to change the momentum back in our favor," Head Coach
Jed Morris said of his senior reliever. "He did just that. He looked good throwing to the corners. He has picked up the nickname the surgeon, and he looked like that today."
The Eagles scored two more runs in the fifth. Eastern loaded the bases with a hit-by-pitch, and a pair of hits, and the two runners crossed the plate on an error on a ground ball from Belansek.
Justin Fredericks allowed one hit while pitching a scoreless fifth, and
Andrew Behnam matched that performance with a one-hit scoreless inning in the sixth.
"Coming into the game, I talked to the team about how we have some unproven pitchers who will throw over the next few days," Morris continued. "Today was the first day for the guys in the bullpen to show they can be strike-throwers. It was a very promising start for the bullpen."
The Eagles picked up four more runs in the seventh. Gorton picked up his third of four hits on the day with an RBI-double to center.
Angelo Kelly drove in a pair of runners a single for the final two runs of the day.
Behnam retired one batter in the seventh before giving way to
Adam Perdue. Perdue retired all five batters he faced.
Matt Bunjo retired three-straight Houghton hitters in the ninth.
Gorton drove in two runs with his 4-for-4 day off the bench.
Andrew Boykin scored three runs.
The Eagles (2-1) and the Highlanders (0-3) will square off again in Florida tomorrow.
Ian Roth is expected to start on the mound for the Eagles.
