HARRISONBURG, VA --- Daniel Scott (Moneta, Va./Staunton River) launched a walk-off three-run homerun as EMU's baseball men took a 6-5 win over rival Bridgewater College Wednesday in Harrisonburg. After Saturday's 2-1 win in 10 innings against Hampden-Sydney, the Royals now have back-to-back walk-off homerun victories.
Eastern Mennonite (14-23/5-13 ODAC) suddenly has a three-game winning streak heading into their regular season finale this Saturday at home. The Royals host Lynchburg (14-21/7-11 ODAC) in a doubleheader and would likely earn an ODAC Tournament bid with two wins.
The longball was the feature of the day, as EMU and Bridgewater (19-18-1/7-13 ODAC) combined for five homeruns to score nine of the 11 runs.
Freshman Billy Quinn (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) started it with a line drive shot to left in the second, giving EMU a 2-0 lead.
The Eagles tied it up in their next at-bat, putting together a walk and three hits, all after Royals starter John Judy (Shanks, W.V./Hampshire) had recorded two outs.
Bridgewater's Chris King hit a solo shot in the fifth, and Jake Bailey lofted a two-run homer with two outs in the seventh off reliever Ryan Brewer (Martinsville, Va./Franklin County) to make it 5-2.
Senior Damon Frazier (Waynesboro, Va./Wilson Memorial) changed the momentum of the game with one out in the eighth, sending a solo bomb down the left field line. His seventh homerun of the year broke a string of nine straight outs by BC left hander Chad Lenz. EMU put two more runners on base in the inning, and despite not scoring, the men had cut the deficit to two and built hope for the ninth.
EMU's infield turned a 5-3-6 double play to erase BC's leadoff double in the top of the ninth, and Tyler Campbell (Luray, Va./Luray) struck out the Eagles' last batter to keep it a 5-3 game.
Tyler McFadden (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem) patiently worked a leadoff walk in the bottom of the frame, sending Lenz to the dugout and bringing in Bridgewater's freshman closer, Ryan Skadra. In just his fifth time at the plate this season, freshman Blake Sargent (Suffolk, Va./King's Fork) drew another walk. A failed sacrifice attempt left runners on first and second with one away, setting up Scott's heroics and a wild celebration at home plate.
EMU was out-hit by the Eagles, 10-6, but the men took advantage of six walks.
Quinn and Frazier each had two hits for the Royals, with Frazier adding a double to his homer. After hitting Saturday's walk-off homerun, Corey Willis (Fredericksburg, Va./Massaponax) had a single and a walk. Tyler Wilcher (Staunton, Va./Buffalo Gap) walked twice.
Campbell improved to 2-4 with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. He struck out two and only allowed one hit. Judy allowed three runs on five hits with five strikeouts over the first 4.1 innings, while Brewer got EMU out of a jam when he entered in the fifth before giving up two runs in 2.1 frames.
Saturday will also be Senior Recognition Day for the baseball program.