Eastern Mennonite played well, but Shenandoah's baseball men, ranked No. 11 in the D3baseball.com poll, took advantage of the few mistakes to grab a 6-2 decision. The loss knocks the Royals from playoff contention, now 7-11 in ODAC play and three games out of sixth place with just two league games left.

The men, 15-19 overall, continue their short road swing on Wednesday, playing a 3:00pm game at Messiah College on Grantham, Pa.

The Royals created a number of chances against one of the ODAC's top pitchers, SU's Colin Morse. They got at least one runner on in six of the seven innings Morse pitched, including at least two on in four of the frames. EMU loaded the bases with one out in the second, but a grounder to second turned into an inning-ending double play.

Meanwhile, EMU long reliever Aaron Hooven (Carroll, Va./Carroll County), getting his first start of the year after 15 appearances out of the pen, was mowing through Shenandoah's lineup unscathed. But after eight straight outs, it was the Hornets who broke through first, started by a two-out error in the third. A hit batter and a single scored the game's first run, and the second soon followed to suddenly make it 2-0.

Eastern Mennonite quickly cashed in on some SU mistakes in their next at-bat, loading the bases without a hit. Adam Marston (Woodstock, Va./Miller School) opened the frame with a walk, and a hit batter and catcher's interference loaded the bases with two outs. Zach Roberts (Stuarts Draft, Va./Stuarts Draft) put a single up the middle, bringing around two runners to tie it up at 2-2.

The pitchers took over again until the sixth, when the Hornets' Jake Loew hit a two-run homerun to put the home team back on top.

The Royals had a two-out rally in the seventh, but left runners stranded on the corners.

Both teams turned to their bullpens from that point, and SU's relievers won the duel, getting six straight outs to finish off the game. EMU gave up a single run in each the seventh and eighth innings for the final 6-2 margin.

Hooven only allowed five hits with no walks in 6.0 innings of work, but the four runs (two earned) handed him the loss. Morse gave up six hits and three walks in 7.0, but got the win to improve to 5-0 and move to second in the ODAC with a 1.73 ERA.

Roberts finished 2-4 with a walk and drove in both of EMU's runs. Kyle Armstrong (Greenville, Va./Riverheads) reached base twice with a single and a walk.

The Royals wrap up the year this Saturday, hosting Virginia Wesleyan in a noon doubleheader on Senior Recognition Day.