DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Palm Beach Atlantic baseball dropped both game of the double header on Saturday against Embry-Riddle. The Sailfish (6-11) could not muster a win in either game against the Eagles (7-7) as the dropped the first game and got walked-off in the second game.
Game 1: Embry-Riddle 7, Palm Beach Atlantic 4
The Sailfish scored two runs in the top of the first in the opener on Saturday, as Riley Herold singled home a run and the second run came home on an ERAU error. The Eagles struck back in a hurry as they plated four in the bottom of the first inning to take a lead.
PBA got one back in the fourth as Danny Tufariello doubled to lead off the inning and came around to score on a Andreas Papageorge RBI single. The Eagles got that run back in the fifth as they chased Sailfish starter Christian Denton from the game.
The Eagles opened things up a bit with two runs in the sixth off the Sailfish bullpen to go up 7-3.
PBA got one run back in the eighth as Brandon Smith led off with a single and came around to score on a Danny Tufariello double. The 'Fish stranded two runners however to end the inning.
Smith threw the final 2.1 innings out of the pen on the day, allowing no runs and just one baserunner while striking out three.
Herold and Tufariello were the lone Sailfish players with multiple hits in the opener.
Game 2: Embry-Riddle 6, Palm Beach Atlantic 5
The Eagles struck first in game two of the double header with a single up the middle scoring just one run as Lance Fry escaped a jam with minimal damage. The Eagles scored again in the bottom of the second on a sacrifice fly to left field scoring one more run that inning making it a 2-0 ballgame.
Brandon Seltzer tied things up when he hit a triple to the right center gap scoring Marcos Perez and Riley Herold in the top of the third inning. But the Eagles did not leave the game tied long as Kyle Marsh hit a two run homer to put the score at 4-2.
PBA played keep up again in the top of the fourth scoring two runs in the inning. The first run came on a Andreas Papageorge groundout to shortstop that brought Brandon Smith in who had previously singled in the inning. The second run came on a fielder's choice off the bat of Derek Schwimer allowing Danny Tufariello to score.
The Eagles would once again retake the lead in the bottom half of the inning on another sacrifice fly.
Orsen Josephina came in for the Sailfish and threw four innings of no hit baseball and did not allow a run in his time on the mound.
In the top of the ninth the Sailfish would sneak across the tying run on another Schwimer fielder's choice that allowed Papageorge to score from third after he hit a double and advanced on a passed ball.
But the Eagles would not allow for extra innings to be played as they once again hit a sacrifice fly to bring in the winning run in the ninth.
Papageorge was the lone Sailfish with two hits in the game as he went 2-for-4 with two doubles. Seltzer had two RBI as did Schwimer.
The Sailfish will be back in action on Wednesday, March 6 as they host Wilmington at 6 p.m. at J.M. "Jake" Rubin Park.
