Box Score

AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The Edgewood College baseball team got a second chance to play the top-ranked team in the nation, and performed much better than Monday's 8-1 loss. However, the University of St. Thomas still managed to keep the Eagles at arm's length, holding on for a 7-4 victory on Wednesday.

Edgewood College (7-5) had their chances to seize control of the game. After taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI single by Steve Binder, St. Thomas (12-1) bounced back with three runs in the top of the fourth inning for a 3-1 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, Tim Barry led off with a single, and scored when St. Thomas committed errors on the next two Eagle batters. However, with runners at second and third and no outs, Edgewood College couldn't push anymore runners across the plate. St. Thomas responded with three more runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 6-2 lead.

The Eagles added two more runs in the eighth inning. Barry drove in Jimy Landwehr with an RBI single, and Seth Astroth followed with an RBI groundout, but the Eagles would get no closer.

Sophomore Glenn Nowell made his first start of the year on the mound, lasting seven and one-third innings and giving up six earned runs on 10 base hits. Nowell struck out five batters in his season debut. Blake Hunt and Patrick Clerkin finished the game for the Eagles and combined to give up just two hits and no runs.

Barry ended the game with two hits and a run batted in, extending his hitting streak to eight straight games. His career-long hitting streak is nine games set last season. Andrew King went 1-for-2 with a double and two sacrifices, while Astroth recorded a double and an RBI.

Edgewood College will square off against Purchase College (N.Y.) in single games on both Thursday and Friday to complete their spring trip. On their return from Florida, the Eagles will stop in Aurora, Ill. on Monday for a Northern Athletics Conference opening doubleheader against Aurora University.