BRIDGEWATER, Va. – EMU Baseball headed south on Route 42 for the first of two rivalry games this season against the Bridgewater Eagles. Despite a solid outing on the mound by Damen Tapscott, the Royals could not muster enough offense in a 7-4 defeat.

Records: EMU 7-15, 4-7 ODAC | Bridgewater 19-9, 7-4 ODAC

WP: Andrew Baugher (4-0)
LP: - Tapscott (1-3)
Save: N/A

Highlights

• Offense proved to be elusive for both teams in the early innings. After getting struck out 1-2-3 in the top of the first, the Royals countered with a 5-4-3 double play to end the Eagles threat in the bottom of the first. EMU and Bridgewater only got one hit apiece in the second inning.
• Bridgewater broke the stalemate in the bottom of the fourth with a sacrifice fly by Tristan Gordon to go up 1-0.
• Erik Wilkinson came up big in the fifth for EMU, belting a three-run home run to right field to put the Royals out front 3-1. Bridgewater got one of those runs back in the bottom of the fifth, making it 3-2 EMU through five.
• The Eagles flew back out front with three runs in the bottom of the seventh, scoring one on a wild patch and two more on a base hit by Jonathan Sexton. Bridgewater then padded their lead with two more runs in the eighth.
• The Royals mustered one run in the top of the ninth thanks to a Nick Arnold RBI double, but it was not nearly enough to complete the comeback.

 
Statistical Leaders
Wilkinson: 1-for-3, HR (3), 3 RBIs
Tapscott:  6.2 IP, 4 Ks
Arnold: 1-for-4, 1 RBI

What's Next
EMU Baseball returns home this Saturday, April 6 to host Hampden-Sydney in an ODAC doubleheader. First pitch for game one is slated for 12 p.m.