AURORA, Ill. - The Edgewood College baseball team opened their 2010 Northern Athletics Conference season with a doubleheader split at Aurora University on Monday. The Eagles led the opening game 9-2 before the Spartans rallied for a 11-10 win in the bottom of the ninth inning. Edgewood College got their revenge in the second game scoring six runs in the last three innings for an 8-4 victory.
Senior Tim Barry opened the first game with a three-run home run in the top of the first inning to give the Eagles a quick lead. Edgewood College (10-6, 1-1 NAC) would score in each of the first six innings chasing Aurora ace pitcher Steve Salazar after the first batter of the fifth inning. Jake Zadra, Mike Selvaggi, Steve Binder, Jimy Landwehr and Jack Lowry would each record RBI hits in the first six innings to give the Eagles a 10-4 lead.
However, the Spartans would rally in the final three innings. Aurora University (10-7, 2-2 NAC) scored three runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to tie the game at 10. In the ninth, Aurora's Matt Anklam led off with a double to right center field. Tim Mackey then laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance pinch runner Steve Karasewski. After a walk, Anthony Amedei executed a perfect squeeze bunt to score Karasewski from third with the winning run.
Binder led the Eagles at the plate going 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Landwehr added two hits including a double and two runs batted in. Zadra and Ryan Walker each had two hits as well. Edgewood College starter Matt Krueger threw six and two-thirds innings, striking out six and allowing six earned runs. The Eagle bullpen combined to surrender four runs and five walks over the final one and two-thirds innings, with James Bertakis suffering the loss.
The second game started similarly to the first with Zadra walking and Erik Massey hitting a double to set up the first two Eagle runs. Barry drove one home with an RBI single and Binder followed with a sacrifice fly. However, the Spartans would build a 4-2 lead by the end of the sixth inning.
In the top of the seventh, Massey and Landwehr walked to put runners on first and second. Barry then delivered an RBI double to score Massey, followed an RBI groundout by Binder to tie the game at four. Selvaggi then delivered a two-out, RBI single to right field, scoring Barry and giving the Eagles their first lead since the first inning at 5-4.
Edgewood College piled on some insurance in the ninth inning, when Barry led off with a solo home run, his fourth round tripper of the season and 11th of his career. Later in the inning, Lowry knocked in Treye Dennison with a two-out RBI double, and Walker followed with an RBI single for an 8-4 lead which would hold up in the ninth.
Barry went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run and three runs batted in, in the nightcap, While Selvaggi and Walker each added three hits of their own. Lowry, a freshman, had a pair of doubles in the game. Sophomore pitcher Glenn Nowell went the distance for the Eagles, allowing two earned runs on eight hits, while striking out one.
Edgewood College will finally return home after being on the road for 12 days. The Eagles will open their home schedule on Wednesday with a doubleheader against Benedictine University. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. at Stampfl Field in Verona.
