ST. DAVIDS, Pa.  – Eastern University Baseball pounded out 18 hits on the way to a 16-2 MAC Freedom win over the visiting FDU-Florham Devils. The Eagles grabbed the lead with a four-run third and broke the game open with a nine-run sixth.

Eastern (8-14, 2-8 MAC Freedom) opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Brad Clemens singled home Timmy Gorton before the Devils strung together three two-out singles in the second off starter Andrew Behnam to tie the game. It was the only run the junior would allow as he picked up his first collegiate win.

Gorton doubled down the left field line to start the decisive fourth. Gorton continued his path toward 200 career hits with a 3-for-4 afternoon. With 191, he is now six hits behind former teammate Angelo Kelly for the Eastern career mark. He is eight runs behind Kelly for the career runs record. 

After Kyle Daddario and Liam Clarke flied out, the Eagles needed something good to happen with two outs. Clemens singled to right center to plate Gorton. After and error and a hit batsman loaded the bases, Freddie Yahn delivered a two-out single to plate another run. The Eagles scored two more runs on an error to go up 5-1.

Daddario, who finished 4-for-6 on the afternoon, homered with one out in the fourth to stretch the Eastern lead. The junior first baseman has reached base safely in his last 15 games. He has 16 hits in his last seven games. His average has climbed 92 points over that stretch.

After the Devils grabbed an unearned run in the sixth, the Eagles put up ten hits and nine runs in the bottom of the inning to grab control of the game.

"Our lineup is more balanced right now," Head Coach Jed Morris said of his team's offensive outburst. "We have been working on having a good approach, and hitting with two strikes, but with Kyle getting hot and  Freddy [Yahn] and Brad [Clemens] down a little farther in the order, it gives us a little more ability to roll through the order and create big innings." Clemens was 4-for-5 with three RBI's in the fifth spot in the order, and Yahn had two RBI singles in the eighth spot.

Zach Belansek delivered the big blow of the inning with a two-RBI double to right field. Eastern sent 15 hitters to the plate in the inning.

Morris was pleased with his pitching. With five league games this weekend, the Eastern staff hoped to avoid burning through any single reliever. Tyler Bennett, Christian Shissler, Matt Bunjo, Grant Fisher, and Jarrid Kosa allowed only two hits over five innings of relief.

The Eagles are at Delaware Valley on Friday and will host the Aggies at the Yard on Saturday before wrapping up the FDU series in Madison on Sunday.