DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Union College rallied for five runs late in the game, but it was too little, too late as host and No. 1 seed Embry-Riddle Aeronautical (Fla.) University held on for the 8-7 decision in the 2009 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round.

The loss puts Union at 44-11 overall and sends the Bulldogs to the losers' bracket final where they will face the Auburn Montgomery (Ala.)/Union (Tenn.) winner Thursday at 2 p.m.

ERAU (43-12 overall) awaits the losers' bracket winner for a 6 p.m. date Thursday.

Although Union was on the short end of the score, the Bulldogs outhit the Eagles 14-4. In fact, ERAU scored its first five runs with only one hit.

What hurt the Bulldogs were the 10 bases on balls and one hit batsman the pitching staff allowed. During the Eagles' rallies in the first and third innings, Union walked six batters and hit another. In addition, a balk call in the third allowed another run score as ERAU built a 5-2 lead through three innings.

In the top of the eighth, ERAU loaded the bases with one out, Joel Blomberg attempted a suicide squeeze bunt but was safe on an error as all three runners ended up scoring to make it an 8-2 contest.

Union was not about to go down without a fight. The Bulldogs sent 10 batters to the plate, ripped off six hits and scored five runs. Lioney Henriquez (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had the big hit in the inning with a two-run single. After cutting the margin to 8-7, Union had the bases loaded with one out when Josh Ehringer (Somerset, Ky.) hit into a very close 4-6-3 double play.

Both teams went quietly in the ninth as ERAU held on for the one-run decision.

Both Chris Daniels (Wappinger Falls, N.Y.) and Joe Grinstead (Bowling Green, Ky.) led Union at the plate in going 3-for-5 with Daniels scoring a run and driving in one. Ehringer went 2-for-5 with a run scored, and Henriquez was 1-for-4 with two RBIs.

With only four hits, no Eagle had multiple hits. Aaron Tea, though, was 1-for-2 with three runs scored. Matt Steele scored twice despite going 0-for-2 with two walks. ERAU also had only four RBIs with Blomberg collecting two of them.

Austin Quinn picked up the victory for ERAU, improving to 11-2 on the season. He allowed two earned runs on eight hits and two walks with one strikeout in 6 2/3 innings of work. Aaron Varnum pitched the final two innings in recording his 11th save of the year.

Lance Dougherty (Canyon, Texas) suffered the loss as he gave up four earned runs on one hit and four walks in 2 1/3 innings, dropping him to 8-2 on the year.

Bulldog Notes

• With his three hits, Joe Grinstead is now batting .438 on the year and recorded his team-leading 26th multi-hit game.
• This marked the first time Union was on the short end of a one-run contest as the Bulldogs are in 6-1 in games decided by one run.
• The Bulldogs have yet to lose two games in a row this season.