One bad inning by the pitching staff and 14 men left on base by the offense was too much to overcome, as EMU's baseball team lost their third straight game with a 10-5 final at the University of La Verne Wednesday afternoon.

Now 9-5, the Royals wrap up their Spring Break trip to southern California with a night game at Chapman. Thanks to the proximity of the schools and EMU's desire to play games during the trip, the result is a very rare "doubleheader" of baseball, with an afternoon game at La Verne followed by a short bus trip and night game at Chapman.

La Verne 10, EMU 5
In the La Verne contest, Eastern Mennonite started well, getting RBI singles from Ryan Hedrick Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) and Kyle Mathews (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) for a 2-0 lead in the first. The Leopards tied it in the bottom of the third, but Griffin Stanley (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring) put EMU back in front with a two-run single in the fourth.

The home team took over in the fifth. A leadoff walk was the harbinger of danger, even with the runner being cut down trying to steal. After four hits, three walks and a hit batsman, La Verne exploded for six runs and an 8-4 lead. Ben White's three-run homerun provided the final scores.

The Leopards scored two more in the seventh before Zach Roberts' (Stuarts Draft, Va./Riverheads) two-out RBI single in the ninth made the final 10-5 margin.

EMU left multiple runners on base in five different innings, including the bases loaded in the eighth.

The men had 11 hits and six walks, led by Kyle Salladay (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield) who went 2-3 with a pair of free passes. Stanley finished 2-4 with a walk, run and two RBIs. Nic Love (Bedford, Va./Staunton River) and Joe Hall (Gladys, Va./Rustburg) each had a pair of hits and one run scored.

Reliever Robert Johnson (Chesapeake, Va./Greenbrier Christian) didn't record an out in the ill-fated fifth and was tagged for three runs and the loss. Starter Josh Sydenstricker (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) got a no decision as he gave up four runs in 4.1 innings. Riley Wesp (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) was the only of five pitchers to emerge without giving up a run by throwing a perfect eighth.

Chapman 12, EMU 2
Salladay hit an RBI triple in the second inning of the nightcap to give the men a 1-0 lead, but the Panthers scored twice in the bottom of the frame to take over.

The men made two errors in each the fourth and fifth innings, as Chapman blew open an 8-1 edge.

Salladay added an RBI groundout in the sixth, but that was it for EMU as the men were limited to four hits. Stanley, Hedrick and Mathews each had a hit.

The defense committed seven errors, making five of Chapman's runs unearned.

Jake Brown (Gloucester, Va./Gloucester) gave up six of the scores in 4.0 frames and fell to 1-3.

The men will need to re-adjust quickly to the Eastern time zone, hosting Emory & Henry in an ODAC doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch in Harrisonburg is noon.