The EMU Men’s baseball team picked up a thrilling come-from-behind walk-off victory against their cross-town rivals, Bridgewater, on April 5th, 2023. Bridgewater came out blazing hot, scoring seven runs in the first inning alone, putting pressure on the Royals early. Over the next three innings, the Royals would score two runs, four runs, and one run, but two runs from Bridgewater would make it a 9-7 ball game by the start of the fifth inning.
The two teams would trade two runs in the fifth inning, as it seemed like, despite the Royals playing a terrific game in terms of runs, Bridgewater’s first-inning tear kept them ahead no matter how well the Royals played. In the 6th, the Eagles would score another run, widening the score to 12-7. The Royals would strike back in the next inning, still chipping away at Bridgewater’s lead.
Both teams, for the whole game, were playing fantastically. In every inning up to the 8th, aside from the fourth inning, each team scored a run. Center Fielder Logan Mason reached base six times and hit a home run. Six different Royals scored runs, seven got hits, and designated hitter Natty Solomon got five runs batted in (RBI). Bridgewater was also having a super-efficient game, as nine Eagles recorded hits. However, EMU’s luck would turn as Bridgewater would run cold for the last two innings. Giving the Royals a chance to pull off a comeback.
Heading into the 9th and final inning, Bridgewater had a 12-10 lead, and the Royals had a chance to win it. Logan Mason walked, Nick Arnold hit a drive to the middle, putting him on first base, and Mason on second. Natty Solomon walked up to home plate. The Royals had one out, with two out of three bases with a runner on them, with the chance to pull off a fantastic moment.
The first pitch is thrown to Natty, and he crushes it over the fence. Walk off—ball game. Royals win. The entire dugout rushes the field, running and screaming. They wait for Natty and home, and greet him overjoyed. It felt like the team knew that the ball was going over the fence the moment Solomon’s bat made contact with the ball. I believe this to be the most electric moment I have witnessed in all the games I have called, watched, and covered during my time at EMU. The crowd, the team, the moment, the comeback. If there was a storybook ending to a game, that certainly was the best ending possible.
The Royals have a record of 7-22 with nine games left in the season. Their next game is a home doubleheader against Mary Washington, as they look to ride the wave of energy the walk-off gave the team.
