GREENSBORO, NC - The Royals bats stayed hot on Saturday as they combined for 28 runs and 33 hits across their doubleheader.  

The Royals downed Guilford 22-16 in the opening game before falling 7-6 late in game two. The split puts EMU at 9-18, 5-9 ODAC. 

Highlights- Game One

• EMU came out swinging in the game one, with Jordan Jones and Brett Lindsay each picking up singles to put runners on the corners with one out. Ray Tricarico continued his hot streak at the plate with a single that plated Jones for a 1-0 EMU lead. After a groundout gave Guilford two outs, Gage Riddick, Robert Guenther and Ethan Spraker all picked up hits and RBI, adding to the lead and giving EMU a 5-0 advantage after one. EMU starter Hunter West gave up a leadoff single but worked around that with three straight groundouts. 
• Jones led off the second with a walk and came around to score when Jaylon Lee reached on an error and advanced to third. Lindsay followed that up with an RBI groundout to give EMU a 7-0 lead. The Royals added to their lead in the fourth when Natty Solomon homered, his second straight game with a dinger and his third of the season. Guilford cut into the lead with a homerun of their own in the fourth but West was able to work out of the jam with just the one run allowed. 
• Guenther singled to start the fifth, Ethan Spraker reached on an error and Jones walked, forcing the Quakers to go to the bullpen to face Lee. Lee welcomed the new pitcher by jacking the third pitch he saw over the right field fence for a grand slam and a 13-1. lead. After two more hits and a walk, Guenther picked up a sac fly RBI and putting EMU ahead 14-1. Guilford would plate another run in their half of the fifth but EMU still held a commanding 14-2 lead. 
• Lindsay, Dylan Cassell and Drew Petitt all picked up RBI in the sixth and seventh, putting the Royals up big, 17-2. Guilford never gave up, though, as they plated seven runs in the eighth, six of which came off Daniel Hupart, who relieved West after seven. 
• In the Royals half of the ninth, EMU added another five runs, this time with RBI from Nick Arnold, Matthew Harding and two from Cole Bashinski to take a 22-9 lead. Guilford tried to complete the huge comeback, however, as they were able to score seven in the bottom of the ninth before Cooper Thomas got a flyout to end the game. West picked up the win, going seven innings and giving up just two earned runs while striking out six. 
• Offensively, EMU was led by Logan Mason who was 4-5 with two runs. Lindsay, Tricarico, Solomon, Guenther and Spraker all had two hits while Lee drove in four and Lindsay, Bashinski, Guenther and Spraker all plated a pair. 

Highlights - Game Two

• EMU used a Solomon homerun and a Lee RBI groundout, plating Jones who led off with a triple, to take a 2-0 lead after the top of the third. Guilford added a run off EMU starter Jon Sawyers in the bottom of the third and then took the lead with four runs in the sixth. During that time, EMU had runners on in three of the four innings, but couldn't add to their run total. 
• In the seventh, Jones picked up a two-out single, moved to third on Lee's single and then scored on a base hit by Lindsay, cutting Guilford's lead to 5-3. 
• The Royals re-took the lead in the eighth after Soloman led off the inning with a walk and was replaced at first by Petitt. Gage Riddick walked and Petitt moved to third on a wild pitch. He came in to score on Mason's single and then Jones doubled, plating a pair and putting EMU ahead 6-5. Unfortunately for EMU, Guilford was able to add two of their own in the bottom of the eighth to pull back ahead 7-6. The Royals got the tying run to second in the ninth but he was stranded there as the final out was recorded. Brendon Barrett was handed the loss, giving up two hits and two runs while striking out three over two innings. 
• At the plate, Jones paced the Royals with three hits, two of which were extra base hits, two RBI and two runs. Lee, Solomon, Mason and Riddick all had two hits apiece. 

What's Next

The Royals will be back in Harrisonburg on Tuesday when cross-town and ODAC rival, Bridgewater, visits EMU. It's the Rowdy Royals game for baseball with first pitch scheduled for 4 pm. 

To keep up to date with everything surrounding the baseball program this year follow EMU on Twitter and Instagram, like EMU Athletics on Facebook or visit our website.