DANVILLE, Va. – The Royals baseball team made the long trek to Danville on Saturday, finishing the 2023 season on new-ODAC foe, Averett.

In game one, Hunter West threw a career-high eight innings as EMU picked up the 5-4 win. In game two, a pair of runs in the fifth and seventh innings proved to be the difference as the Royals won 4-2.

EMU at Averett – Game One

Records: EMU 9-28, 5-16 ODAC | Averett 5-31-1, 2-19 ODAC

WP: West 3-7
LP: David Asbill (1-5
Sv: Skylar Lacks (2)

Highlights

• West worked out of a runner on third jam in the first to keep the game scoreless. EMU broke the scoreless tie in the second when Forrest Shuey doubled with one out and came in to score on Logan Jones' RBI single up the middle. That lead was short lived as a two-RBI triple in the Cougars half of the second put them on top 2-1.
• Dylan Hall led off the third with a hit-by-pitch and then promptly stole second. He came in to score on Logan Mason's base hit, tying the game at two apiece. Neither team scored in the fourth but AU plated a run in the fifth, taking a 3-2 lead at the midway point.
• EMU took the lead for good in the seventh. Alex Gulisano was hit and then back-to-back bunt singles from Aidan Miller and Hall loaded the bases with no outs. Another bunt single, this time from Mason, plated Gulisano before Spraker's single up the middle scored Miller, giving the Royals a 4-3 lead. A sac fly from Nick Arnold gave EMU a 5-3 lead.
• West allowed runner in the seventh and eighth, but picked up big outs to keep EMU's lead intact. Lacks took the bump in the ninth and a two-out single plated a run to pull Averett within one. But, with the tying run on second and the winning run on first, Lacks struck the last batter out, securing the Royals win.

Statistical Leaders

Mason: 3-5, 2 RBI,

Spraker: 3-5, RBI

West: 8.0 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 3 K

EMU at Averett – Game Two

Records: EMU 10-28, 6-16 ODAC | Averett 5-32-1, 2-20 ODAC

WP: Keenan Fulwood (2-4)
LP: C.J. Collins (0-4)
Sv: Will Waller (1)

Highlights

• This time it was the Cougars taking an early lead, scoring on a Royals error in the second and an RBI single in the third, to take a 2-0 lead. But that would be all Fulwood would allow as he gave up just the one earned run through five solid innings for EMU.
• In the fourth, Natty Solomon reached on an error and Matthew Harding singled. Jones' sac bunt put two runners in scoring position and Gulisano plated them both with a base hit, tying things at two.
• EMU took the lead for good in the fifth when Mason and Spraker each singled and Arnold's RBI plated Mason for a 3-2 lead. A sac fly from Solomon in the seventh would give the Royals an insurance run.
• The combination of Braydon Collier and Will Waller would finish out the game for the Royals. Collier came on in the sixth and pitched three innings, giving up no runs on three hits. Waller would earn his first save of the season, pitching the ninth and striking out the side to secure the sweep.

Statistical Leaders

Gulisano: 3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI

Spraker: 4-5, SB

Mason: 3-5, 2 R

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