BRIDGEWATER, Va. - Bridgewater College built a 6-1 lead Tuesday afternoon and then held on in the latter innings to defeat Eastern Mennonite, 6-5, in conference play.

The Eagles scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning and led the rest of the way. Jarret Biesecker led off the inning with a single and stole second. Brett Tharp chased Biesecker home with a single to right for a 1-0 Bridgewater lead. Jeffrey Snider was hit by a pitch and then he and Tharp pulled off a double steal to put runners at second and third. Tharp scored on Kevin Navedo's groundout to make it 2-0.

Bridgewater added three more runs in the third to lead 5-0. Again it was Biesecker getting the inning started with a base hit. A throwing error on Tharp's grounder put runners at second and third with no outs. Snider reached on an error to lead the bases before Navedo drove in a run with fielder's choice grounder to second, putting the Eagles up 3-0.  After Tharp was thrown out at the plate on an infield grounder, Mason Mitchell was hit by a pitch to load the sacks. Jonathan Sexton followed with a clutch two-out, two-run single to left, giving the Eagles a 5-0 advantage.

After the Royals got on the scoreboard in the top of the seventh, the Eagles got the run back in the bottom half of the inning,  For the third time in the game, Biesecker led off an inning with a base hit. Tharp was safe when his sacrifice bunt was misplayed and another double steal, this time by Biesecker and Tharp, put two runners in scoring position. Snider was safe on an error to load the bases and Navedo followed with a sacrifice fly to center, driving in his third run of the game to make the score 6-1.

The Royals closed the gap to 6-3 with two runs in the eighth and then made things interesting in the top of the ninth.

Natty Solomom led off the ninth with a single to left and, after Eagles' reliever Tucker Hrasky struck out Jaylon Lee, Brett Lindsay was safe on on infield single to put two runners on. Robert Guentner walked to load the bases before a passed ball allowed pinch-runner Alex Gulisano to score, trimming the margin to 6-4. Lindsay scored on a wild pitch to make it a one-run game, still with just one out. With the potential tying run at third, Hrasky struck out Corey Willis and then retired Jacob Merica on a fly ball to left to preserve the 6-5 victory.

William Flanagan pitched 4.2 innings to pick up the win, improving his record to 3-0. Flanagan allowed three runs, two earned, on three hits while striking out five. Hrasky earned his fifth save of the season, pitching the final 1.1 innings. He allowed two unearned runs while striking out two and walking one.

Biesecker was 3-for-4 to lead the offense while Tharp added two hits. Navedo finished with three RBIs.

The Eagles, now 7-8 overall and 6-7 in the ODAC, will travel to Ferrum on Thursday to face the Panthers. Game time is 5:00 p.m.