ST. DAVIDS, Pa.–
Ryan Kehr allowed one run in six innings pitched and the Eastern bats gave him plenty of support in a 14-2 win over FDU-Florham in the first game of today's MAC Freedom Doubleheader. The visiting Devils spoiled Eastern's sweeping ambitions with a three-run rally in the top of the seventh to earn a 10-8 win.
Nineteen hours after taking the opening game of the series in 11 innings at FDU on Friday night, the Eagles took the field at the Yard seeking to claim their second league series of the year. Kehr gave up three hits and a run int he top of the first, but worked out of a jam with a ground ball and a strike out. Kehr , who threw an eiight-inning complete game a week ago, would not allow another run to score in his six innings of work.
"Kehr got deep in counts," Head Coach
Jed Morris said after the game, "but he did not give up walks. He has been a big-time pitcher for us."
The Eagles answered in the bottom half after
Angelo Kelly walked and
Timmy Gorton drove him home with a double to left center field. Gorton was 3-for-4 with 3 RBI's in the opener, and had a pair of hits with an RBI in the nightcap. Gorton has 37 hits and 32 RBI's through 20 games. The junior catcher had 9 hits and 7 RBI's in 16 at bats against the Devils. He caught 24 innings in the two days.
Andrew Boykin then lashed a single off the glove of the lunging FDU first baseman and Gorton read the bounce well and came around to score. Both offenses went quiet until Gorton lead off the fourth with a line-drive single to center. He would come around to score on a fielder's choice, and Jordon Laboy, who had reached by beating the relay on a double play attempt, stole second and scored on a
Britton Lawrence single down the right field line.
The three-run lead was more than enough for Kehr. He raced through the top of the fifth, and The Eastern offense was right back at in hte fifth.
Craig Stanley took a pitch on the hip to start the rally. Albertson then hit a high change-up off the scoreboard in left to drive in a run. Gorton, Laboy and Lawrence each added RBI singles in the inning.
The Eagles tacked on six more in the bottom of the sixth to break the game open. Stanley welcomed a new FDU pitcher to the mound with a first-pitch home run to left field. After Gorton reached on an error on an RBI ground out, Boykin put three more runs on the board with a home run over the center field fence. Stanley drove in the final Eastern run of the game with a fielder's choice to the middle of the infield.
"The offense has been steady up and down the lineup." Morris noted. "When you have a guy like Brady in the nine- hole then it makes it very difficult on opposing pitchers. It was good to see Craig respond so positively to batting lead off. He's the heart and soul of our team. He has played very solid so is was good to see him get going offensively."
The Devils scored once off a single hit against
Jay Crawford in the seventh, but the Eagles claimed the series with with the 14-2 victory. Kehr improved to 3-1 on the year and despite spending most of his freshman year at second base moves into a tie for second in career wins.
The Eagles had their eyes on a sweep. After a six-run first inning, it looked as though that might be in the cards.
Kyle Daddario and
Brady DiGiacomo each delivered two-out two-RBI singles in the inning. The 6-2 lead dwindled to a single when the Devils plated three in the top of the third. Gorton and Boykin knocked in runs in the fourth for an 8-4 lead, but again the Devils bounced back with two runs in their next at bat.
After the Eastern bats went quiet against FDU reliever Kevin Brown,
Justin Fredericks came on for the sixth. After two men reached, Fredericks struck out the final two hitters to get out of the inning. Gorton made a nice play to hold a foul tip on the last strikout.
A leadoff double in the top of the seventh put Eastern reliever
Adam Perdue in recovery mode from almost the moment he reached the mound. After the runner reached third on a strikeout, FDU third baseman Josh DellaPietro hooked an inside pitch over the scoreboard in left field to put the Devils up a run. The Devils added one more run on two hits and an error before Perdue escaped without further damage.
"We competed all the way to the end." Morris added. "We just didn't make enough plays defensively to hold a team that was hungry for a win at bay. We are expecting to win every game which is where we need to be."
The Eastern bats did not have an answer in the seventh.
The Eagles will play Muhlenberg at Coca-Cola Field in Allentown on Tuesday night and will return to MAC Freedom play with a nine inning game in St. Davids against DeSales on Thursday.
