Behind the first two home runs of first-year outfielder/pitcher Nick Harms' career, the Case Western Reserve University baseball team swept Emory University in a University Athletic Association doubleheader on Saturday at Chappell Park in Atlanta, Georgia. The Spartans won the first game 5-4 and the second game 11-4.

With the two wins, CWRU improved to 8-10 on the season and 2-1 in the UAA. The Eagles fall to 14-10 and 1-2 in conference play.

Graduate student shortstop Jacob Lott went five-for-eight in the two games with three doubles, two runs batted in, and three runs scored. In both games, the Spartan relief corps carried the load on the mound, allowing zero earned runs in nine and one-third innings. In the first game, first-year Kyle Gearding and sophomore Tyler Horvath allowed no hits in four innings with six strikeouts. Junior Sankalp Doshi and sophomore Andrew Allen struck out eight in five and one-third innings in the second game.

Game 1: CWRU 5, Emory 4

Emory scored in the first inning of the back-and-forth affair, taking the early lead on a run-scoring single. Lott responded for the Spartans, driving in graduate student designated hitter Tre Armstrong and junior infielder Trey Haley with a double.

Harms hit his first home run of the day in the top of the fourth inning, a solo shot that extended the CWRU lead to two runs. The Eagles made the score 3-2 in the bottom half of the inning, scoring on a bases loaded fielder's choice. They took a 4-3 lead in the next inning off a two-run home run from Brok Liu.

Junior outfielder/catcher Jack Anderson tied the game in the top of the seventh inning with a double to left field, scoring Lott. Anderson, who advanced to third on a throwing error, scored on a groundout from sophomore third baseman Zack Carinci to put the Spartans ahead 5-4.

Emory loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning, attempting to tie the game or re-take the lead. However, Horvath entered the game and recorded a strikeout to maintain the one-run advantage. He then retired the next six batters he faced, adding three more strikeouts, to earn his third save of the season and close out the Case Western Reserve win.

Gearding (1-1) earned his first collegiate win in relief, throwing one and two-thirds hitless innings with two strikeouts.

Game 2: CWRU 11, Emory 4

The Spartan offense came alive in the second game of the doubleheader, putting up three runs in two separate innings.

Junior first baseman Nick Talarico put the team on the board in the first inning with a run-scoring single. The Eagles took their only lead of the ballgame in the bottom of the second inning, scoring two runs to go ahead 2-1.

The Spartans added two runs in the fourth inning, taking advantage of an Emory throwing error. With runners on first and second and no outs, Armstrong attempted to sacrifice himself with a bunt. An errant throw allowed Talarico and Carinci to score to give CWRU a 3-2 lead. Armstrong, who had advanced to third on the play, scored on a groundout to further the Spartan advantage. Emory tied the score at four in the bottom of the inning on a two-run single. The hosts then loaded the bases with two outs, prompting Doshi to enter the game. He retired the next batter on his first pitch of the day to escape the jam.

Case Western Reserve scored seven unanswered runs, starting with one in the fifth inning when Carinci drove in Lott with a single. In the sixth, the Spartans added two runs on a Haley sacrifice fly and a double from Lott, his second of the game.

Harms crushed a mammoth home run in the eighth inning, a two-run shot, to further the CWRU lead. His second home run of the day traveled approximately 450 feet, landing on the adjacent softball field. Talarico finished the scoring in the ninth inning with a double that plated Carinci.

Doshi (1-1) earned his first win of the season, allowing just one hit in three and one-third innings and adding five strikeouts.

The Spartans and Eagles finish their four-game series on Sunday with first pitch scheduled at 12 p.m.