HARRISONBURG, Va. – Returning home from their spring break travels, the EMU Baseball Team began ODAC play on Saturday, hosting Ferrum College for a doubleheader at Royals Field. On an eventful day at the ballpark that saw a little bit of everything, the Diamond Royals emerged with a split of the two games and a 1-1 start to the ODAC portion of the schedule.
 

Records: EMU 5-6, 1-1 ODAC | Ferrum 9-5, 2-1 ODAC

Game One: Ferrum 10, EMU 6
WP: Carter Liverman (1-0)
LP: Damen Tapscott (1-2)


Highlights

• The Royals got the home crowd cheering early with two runs in the first inning. Nick Arnold singled up the middle to bring in Aidan Miller. A few batters later, Dylan Hall drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home Arnold and give EMU an early 2-0 lead.
• Ferrum countered with three runs in the top of the second to go out front 3-2. But the Royals had an answer with three runs in the bottom of the third. It all started with a Daniel McGinnis single up the middle to plate Miller. The next batter was Erik Wilkinson, who doubled down the right field line to bring in Arnold. The rally continued with Hall hitting into a fielder's choice, giving McGinnis the opportunity to touch home plate.
• In the bottom of the fourth, Arnold tacked on an RBI double, bringing home Miller to put EMU up 6-3 after four innings.
• The game got away from the Royals in the top of the sixth as Ferrum's offense exploded for seven runs to put the Panthers up for good.

Statistical Leaders
Miller: 3-for-6, 2 3Bs, 3 runs
Arnold: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 2 runs, 2 RBIs
Tapscott: 5.2 IP, 8 Ks

Game Two: EMU 15, Ferrum 5 (7 innings)
WP: - Josh Gjormand (2-0)
LP: -  Dylan Heil (0-2)


Highlights

• The second game started out as a pitcher's duel, with starting pitchers Gjormand and Heil holding both sides scoreless through the first two innings.
• The hometown Royals broke the stalemate in the bottom of the third inning as Miller hit a sac fly to center field, opening the door for Jett Cabanban to touch home and put EMU up 1-0.
• The visiting Panthers answered quickly with a three-run top of the fourth, edging out front 3-1 over the Royals.
• However, EMU asserted their will in the bottom of the fifth, pushing six runs across in the frame. Miller ignited the Royals offense when he hit into a fielder's choice to score Cabanban. Arnold then put the ball in play, and Ferrum's throw to home plate was dropped by their catcher, allowing Noah Sanderson to score and tie the game at 3-3.
• Later that inning, the Royals snagged the lead back on a 2-RBI single by Dalton Rocke, bringing home Miller and Arnold. With that, the Royals led 5-3, but they were not done in the bottom of the fifth. An errant throw by Ferrum's pitcher on a pickoff attempt opened the door for Rocke to reach home. EMU capped off their scoring in the fifth when Sanderson reached base  on yet another Ferrum error, bringing home Wilkinson to put the Royals up 7-3.
• The Diamond Royals added cushion to their margin in the sixth. Rocke kept up his strong showing in game two with an RBI infield single to plate Arnold. That brought Wilkinson to the dish, who doubled to right field to score McGinnis. That made the score EMU 9, Ferrum 3 through six innings.
• The Panthers staged a brief rally with two runs in the top half of the seventh before the Royals put the game away in the bottom half of the inning. Rocke added to his RBI collection with a  single that brought in Miller. Wilkinson then cleared the bases with a 3-RBI double to right center, putting EMU up 13-5.
• Hall hit a double of his own to left center to bring in Wilkinson and put the Royals up 14-5. Cabanban then doubled down the left field to get Hall home. That invoked the ODAC's 10-run rule, ending the game and sending the EMU faithful home happy.

Statistical Leaders
Rocke: 3-for-4, 2 runs, 4 RBIs
Wilkinson: 2-for-5, 2 runs, 2 2Bs, 4 RBIs
Cabanban: 2-for-3, 2 runs, 1 RBI
J. Gjormand: 6.1 IP, 4 ER, 4 Ks

What's Next
The Diamond Royals will stay at Royals Field for a non-conference bout with Messiah University on Tuesday, March 11. First pitch versus the Falcons is scheduled for 3 p.m.