Box Score Demorest, GA - The Piedmont Baseball team overwhelmed the Eagles of Emory University with a 6-3 victory today in game one of a three game series. The Lions were outhit 12-8 but took scored often and won in their last home game of the season before heading to Emory tomorrow and Saturday to finish the season.
The Eagles scored first, scoring on a double play with bases loaded and on an RBI single two batters later.
Piedmont countered in the bottom of the inning with a solo homerun by
Josh Bailey to shorten Emory's lead to 2-1.
After two scoreless innings, Bailey led off the bottom of the fourth and tripled on a one-hopper to the right field wall. Bailey took his lead on the next pitch and scored on an Emory wild pitch to tie up the game.
The Eagles loaded the bases again in the fifth and took the lead after runners advanced on a hit by pitch.
In the bottom of the fifth, second basemen Timmy Nunez led off and walked.
Garrett Lovelace followed him to base after a catcher interference call and
Matt Youtsey loaded the bases on a fielding error.
Keith Grabowski got set in the batter's box and hit a sacrifice fly into right field to even up the box score and ignite the Lion's bench. With the next at-bat, senior
Tate Koons placed a smart sacrifice bunt down the first base line to give Piedmont the eventual game-winner.
Josh Bailey walked before Kevin D'Antignac and
Michael Barnes hit a pair of RBI singles, setting the final score 6-3.
Emory stayed in the game with a few more hits scattered throughout and loading the bases in the top of the eighth. Senior pitcher
Kevin Caldwell was up to the task, though, forcing the groundout to end the inning. Caldwell returned to the mound for his last time as a Piedmont baseball player in the ninth to get the complete game. The senior forced the first three batters into put outs, getting his sixth and final win of the season in style, celebrating heartily with his teammates.
The Lions move to 21-21 with the win. Piedmont will travel to Atlanta, GA tomorrow to play Emory in the final two games of the series. First pitch in game two is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at Emory University.
