The Emory University baseball team used more heroics Tuesday afternoon as junior Zach Hanson had his second extra-inning walkoff of the season to give the Eagles a 9-8 win over Oglethorpe University at Chappell Park.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th, Hanson lined a ball to left field which was caught by the Stromy Petrels defender. Senior Zach Wasserlauf tagged up from third and was able to race home past the relay throw for Emory's eighth consecutive win.
Six different Eagles drove in one run on the afternoon with Wasserlauf collecting a multi-hit outing with his 2-for-4 effort. He added a pair of walks and scored twice. Graduate student Nic Roma improved to 2-0 in relief as he tossed two scoreless innings in extras, retiring six of the seven batters he faced and struck out three.
Emory and Oglethorpe combined to score eight of their 17 runs in the first inning as both frames took nearly an hour. The visitors struck for three off start JT Rattigan in the first, but the Eagles answered with a quick five spot in the home half of the inning as Emory took advantage of four walks, two hit-by-pitches and one error. Wasserlauf and freshman Dalton Needle each had run-scoring singles and freshman Connor Tam added a sac fly.
Another Oglethorpe error led to the Eagles' sixth run in the third but the Stormy Petrels cut the score to 6-5 with a pair of bases loaded walks in the fourth.
A run-scoring double from freshman Mario Borges made it 7-5 in the fifth but Oglethorpe soon countered, tying the game at 7-7 in the seventh as two Emory errors accounted for two unearned runs.
The Stormy Petrels scored the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth with a Trey Kinnan fielder's choice but the Eagles were the fortunate benefactors of an Oglethorpe error with two outs in the ninth as a costly fielding miscue allowed Lawson to reach base and freshman Ethan Ramirez to score the game-tying run.
Roma did his job with quick defensive innings in the 10th and 11th, allowing the Eagles to spark a rally in the 11th. Wasserlauf worked a leadoff walk and then advanced to third thanks to another Oglethorpe error on a Corey Goldstick sacrifice bunt attempt. With one out, Lawson was walked intentionally to load the bases setting the stage for Hanson's walk off sac fly.