The Eastern Eagles baseball team is off to a slow start, dropping their double header against William Peace University while in North Carolina. The Eagles lost 5-4 in their first game of the double header. They then lost the second half of the double header 7-8. Yet, the double header seemed to prove that the Eagles can compete, only losing by one in their first game. They then traveled to Fayetteville, North Carolina to take on Methodist University, whom they lost to in a blow out 5-18. The Eagles continued to migrate south into Florida. where they won their first game of the season 8-6. Timmy Gorton, Andrew Boykin, and Shane Albertson were credited with two runs batted in this game. They are great at making contact in crucial situations.
After their first victory, the Eagles went on to a three game losing streak. The first game at the beginning of the streak was against Elizabethtown College. The team lost 12-2, where the Eagles pitching could not silence Elizabethtwon. The starting pitcher of that game, Jarrid Kosa, gave up three runs in 3.2 innings. The pitching staff also had no help on defense, the Eagles committing four errors. The Eagles are not fans of playing in Florida as they went 1-3 during spring break.
However, once they came back up north they tied one game against Washington College of Maryland, which ended 8-8. Joe Grato was the slugger that the team has been looking for, having four runs batted in which credited for half the score. Grato batted .500 for the game and certainly made sure the team did not fail.
On March 12, the team played their home opener, which was a double header against Elmira College. In the first game, the Eagles cruised past Elmira in a 9-1 victory. Pitcher Ryan Kehr started the game and tamed Elmira, only allowing one run in five innings. He complemented his stats with four strikeouts as well. Grant Fisher and Andrew Behnam helped Kehr get the victory by shutting the team out in the later innings. The lead-off hitter, Angelo Kelly, played a key role in the game, getting on base 75 percent of his at bats. He scored two runs and was not struck out. The number two batter, Timmy Gorton, utilized Kelly’s ability to get on base and obtained two RBIs. However, the second game against Elmira was closer as the final score was 12-10 Eagles. Junior Josh Freed was being smacked around in the first 4.2 innings of the game, allowing 6 runs. On the other hand, Jarrid Kosa came in and managed to pull out the victory to polish his stats. Andrew Check played a huge role in the game as he had one hit and four crucial RBIs.
Angelo Kelly is playing great, with 10 game batting at .415 with five RBIs. One Eagles player that certainly has stepped up is Timmy Gorton, who was not suspected to be a vital role on the team. So far this season, he leads the team with ten RBIs, which will continue to rise as Kelly gets on base.
Later down the road, the team looks to face Wilkes University (3/19), then they follow the Eagles back home for a double header (3/19). These next few games are crucial for the Eagles, as they have to be aware of any crucial games that may affect their standings. Following the double header, the Eagles stay home to face Misericordia Unversity.
Key player: Senior Joe Grato is a key player to watch. His great offensive skills always help to supply the Eagles with runs.