HARRISONBURG, Va. – For the EMU Baseball team, Saturday was an opportunity to honor their 10 graduating seniors in the class of 2024. However, the celebratory mood did not carry over to the doubleheader against Averett as the Royals dropped two close heartbreakers to the Cougars to cap off their 2024 campaign.
Records: EMU 10-26, 6-16 ODAC | Averett 10-27, 6-16 ODAC
Game One: Averett 8, EMU 7 (10 innings)
WP: Shane Michel (2-1)
LP: -
Cooper Thomas (0-1)
Save: N/A
Highlights
- The Royals roared out of the gates in game one, opening up a 5-0 lead in the first two innings. In the bottom of the first, Nick Arnold singled through the right side to bring in Alex Gulisano. Arnold and Ethan Spraker then reached home on a Matthew Harding single down the right field line. One inning later, Logan Mason brought in Cole Bashinski on a sacrifice fly. Two batters later, Spraker grounded into a fielder's choice, opening the door for Colin Troilo to score.
- Averett responded with four runs in the top of the third, three of which came on home runs by Kevin Zischke and Nolan Maccabe. The Cougars then tied things up at 5-5 in the top of the sixth.
- EMU bounced back with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Daniel McGinnis singled to right field to bring in Arnold. Troilo then plated Aidan Miller on a sac fly to center field, which made the score 7-5 Royals through seven.
- Averett used their power bats in the eighth when Brandt Brophy hit a two-run home run to left field to knot the game at 7-7. Neither team could score in the ninth, setting the stage for EMU's first extra inning game of the season.
- Averett took the lead the same way they tied the game: with the long ball. Trevor Testerman hit a solo home run to left center to put the Cougars out front 8-7. The Royals did not have an answer in the bottom of the tenth.
Statistical Leaders
Harding: 2-for-3, 2 RBIs
McGinnis, Spraker, Gulisano: 2 hits each
Game Two: Averett 15, EMU 14
WP: - Evan Stephens (2-0)
LP: -
Colby Eidson (1-2)
Save: N/A
Highlights
- The Cougars carried over their momentum from the ending of game one to open up a 4-0 lead in the first inning.
- The hometown Royals promptly answered with six runs across the second and third innings. Jason Dwyer got things started in the second with an RBI single through the left side, bringing in Bashinski and McGinnis. Dwyer got home himself on a Spraker sac fly, followed by a two-RBI double by Arnold. Dwyer ended the run in the third the same way he started it with an RBI single, making the score 6-4 in favor of EMU.
- The back-and-forth scoring continued as Averett recaptured the lead with three-run fourth inning. EMU fought back as McGinnis drew a bases-load walked in the bottom of the fourth. One inning later, Spraker singled up the middle to bring in Gulisano, and he then scored himself off of an Averett wild pitch. Through five innings, the scoreboard read: EMU 9, Averett 8. The lead was short-lived as the Cougars drew even at 9-9 in the top of the sixth.
- EMU went on a big rally in the bottom of the sixth, bring five runs across home plate. The first came courtesy of a Troilo double to right field, allowing McGinnis to slide in safely. Gulisano and Spraker hit back-to-back RBI singles to grow the Royals' lead to 12-9. Spraker and Gulisano then executed a perfect double steal, as the latter stole home plate. Arnold finished the rally an RBI single to right field to send Spraker home. That put EMU out front 14-9.
- However, the game slipped away from the Royals in the eighth and ninth innings when the Cougars scored six unanswered runs. Maccabe stole home in the ninth for Averett's game-winning run.
Statistical Leaders
Spraker: 4-for-5, 3 runs, 3 RBIs
Bashinski: 3-for-6, 2 runs
Dwyer: 4-for-6, 2 runs, 3 RBIs
What's Next
This wraps up the 2024 season for EMU Baseball as the Royals improved their conference and home win totals from a season ago. EMU will bring back most of their hitters and pitchers for more in 2025.
