GROTTOES, Va. (EMU Athletics) – EMU Baseball concluded the month of March with a trip to Shifflett Field in Grottoes to do battle with Mary Baldwin. In a game that featured no shortage of offense, the Diamond Royals came away with a 25-14 victory to complete the season sweep of the Fighting Squirrels.

The win marked the third time EMU scored at least 20 runs in a game this season, putting up 21 in a victory over Penn St. Altoona on Feb. 28 and then 20 runs in the previous matchup with Mary Baldwin back on March 11. The 25 runs scored was the most in a single game for the Diamond Royals since March 2, 2020, when they put up 28 runs on Saint Elizabeth University.

Overall, 13 different Royals got at least one hit. Most notably, Tucker Cahoon, a first-year from Henrico, got his first career hit in style when he hit a home run in the top of the eighth.

Records: EMU 10-12, 1-6 ODAC | Mary Baldwin 5-18, 3-6 USA South

WP: Grayson Coppage (1-0)
LP: Sam St. Clair (1-3)

Highlights
• Neither squad scored in the first inning, but that would be the only scoreless inning of the day. The Royals got things started with three runs in the top of the second. Dylan Hall singled to bring in Dalton Rocke, followed by Aidan Miller smacking a base hit to left field, securing two RBIs when Hall and Noah Sanderson touched home plate.
• EMU doubled their 3-0 lead with three additional runs in the third. Sanderson slapped a single to center field, opening the door for Michael Duncan to score when the Mary Baldwin centerfielder committed an error. The next batter was Jett Cabanban, who got a base hit as well to send Rocke home. Hadikell Bruno then reached first via fielder’s choice while Sanderson scored. Three runs by Mary Baldwin in the bottom half of the inning made the score EMU 6, Mary Baldwin 3 through three innings.
• The Diamond Royals scored three runs once again in the fourth. This time, they accomplished the feat via the long ball. Daniel McGinnis slammed a solo shot after facing a full count. Four batters later, Sanderson belt a two-run round tripper. However, Mary Baldwin countered with five runs in the bottom of the fourth to cut EMU’s lead to one, 9-8.
• EMU opened the gap up again with four runs in the fifth. Miller and Rocke both hit RBI singles, with the Royals getting two runs on Miller’s hit, while Erik Wilkinson reached home thanks to a throwing error by Mary Baldwin’s catcher. With that, EMU led by five runs, 13-8.
• The Royals saved their biggest offensive output for the sixth inning, racking up an impressive nine runs in the inning. McGinnis singled to left field to score Bruno, followed immediately by Duncan drawing a bases-loaded walk. Wilkinson then smashed a double to right field, allowing both Miller and McGinnis to touch home. Cabanban got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, followed by a Bruno RBI base hit. Sanderson touched home after a Mary Baldwin wild pitch, and Hall completed the batting barrage with a single to plate Cabanban. When the dust settled, EMU led 22-10 after the Fighting Squirrels tallied two runs in the bottom of the sixth.
• The Royals tried to end the game in the seventh via run rule, but Mary Baldwin scored four runs in the inning to get within eight runs and force an eighth inning.
• EMU added three more runs in the eighth on Cahoon’s solo home run and a two-RBI single by Daniel Killoran. Colby Eidson then retired the side in the bottom half of the eighth to invoke the run rule and end the game.

Statistical Leaders
D. Hall: 4-for-4, 2B, 3 R, 3 RBIs
Sanderson: 2-for-3, HR, 4 R, 3 RBIs
McGinnis: 3-for-5, 2B, HR 2 R, 2 RBIs
Bruno: 2-for-4, 3 R, 2 RBIs
Eidson: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 3 Ks

What’s Next
The Diamond Royals won’t have long to celebrate as they resume ODAC play tomorrow, Wednesday, April 1 when they travel to Bridgewater to renew the Route 42 Rivalry. First pitch at Bridgewater is set for 3 p.m.

— EMU Athletics —