Central Michigan 6, Northern Illinois 0 – Boxscore
Central Michigan 8, Northern Illinois 1 – Boxscore
DeKALB Ill. - Pat Leatherman was good in the opener. Michael Brettell was even better in the nightcap.
And the Central Michigan baseball team is off to a good start in the Mid-American Conference and has extended its win streak to five games.
Leatherman combined with two relievers to blank Northern Illinois, 6-0, on Friday in the opening game of a MAC doubleheader, and then Brettell tossed his first career complete game as the Chippweas took the nightcap, 8-1, at NIU's Ralph McKinzie Field.
The Chippewas (7-15-1) and Huskies (5-16) are scheduled to play the third and final game of the series on Sunday. The start time is to be announced.
Game 1
Leatherman (1-2) earned his first win of the season. He allowed four hits, walked two and struck out eight in six innings. Jack Collins and Cameron Brown pitched in relief. Collins and Brown combined to allow one hit, walk one and strike out two.
The Chippewas broke through in the fourth inning on Jason Sullivan's two-out RBI single, and then padded their lead with three runs in the sixth. CMU used a hit batsman, an error - one of four committed by the Huskies in the game -- and a walk to load the bases, and then Zach Heeke delivered an RBI single. The Chippewas added two more runs on a passed ball.
Zavion Warren singled in a run in the seventh and Sullivan brought in a run with a bunt in the ninth.
CMU finished with nine hits, two each by Jacob Crum and Heeke.
Tanner Foster (1-2) took the loss.
Game 2
Brettell, a junior right-hander, allowed six hits, walked three and struck out six.
Griffin Lockwood-Powell got the scoring going early for CMU with a two-run double in the first inning. In the sixth inning, Sullivan tripled in a run and then scored on an error to up CMU's lead to 4-0. The Chippewas broke the game open with four runs in the ninth, highlighted by a Crum two-run triple.
CMU out-hit the Huskies, 12-6. Crum and Daniel Robinson finished with three hits apiece to lead the Chippewas, while Sullivan finished with two.
Hunter Bross accounted for NIU's only run of the day with an inside-the-park homer in the sixth inning.
Donovin Sims (1-2) took the loss.
Western Michigan 5, Toledo 0
Boxscore
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Behind a dominant pitching performance from junior RHP Nic Laio, Western Michigan baseball defeated Mid-American Conference foe Toledo, 5-0 on Friday afternoon at Robert J. Bobb Stadium.
Laio was dominant on the mound for the Broncos going a career-high seven innings, allowing no runs on one hit while striking out four to earn his second victory of the season. Laio's performance was the longest outing by any of the WMU starting pitchers this season.
Out of the bullpen redshirt senior Andrew Reisinger shut down the Rocket offense, pitching two innings of relief giving up two hits while striking out three. WMU held Toledo to just three hits on the afternoon and posted its fourth shutout of the season.
Offensively, WMU scored five runs on six hits with junior Jesse Forestell leading the way going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Fellow junior Jimmy Roche contributed to the Bronco offense as the Orland Park, Ill., native went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and two runs scored.
Western Michigan improves its overall record to 10-9 and 1-0 in the MAC. The Broncos begin conference play 1-0 for the second time in the last three years. The three-game series against Toledo continues on Saturday, March 24 with game two beginning at 3:05 p.m.
For the fourth straight game the Brown & Gold got on the board first scoring three runs on two hits in the bottom of the first. Freshman Blake Dunn was hit by a pitch to open up the inning before a sacrifice bunt by Andrew Stone moved Dunn into scoring position with one out.
On a 1-0 count, junior Connor Smith roped a single to right center field scoring Dunn from second to give WMU the early 1-0 lead. After a strikeout, Roche reached base on a fielding error by the Toledo shortstop that gave the Broncos runners on the corners. A steal attempt by Roche propelled Smith to steal home on the throw down to second to extend the Bronco lead.
After Roche reached second base safely, freshman Sean O'Keefe laced a single to center field to score the junior infielder and give WMU a 3-0 lead after one inning of play. The Broncos this season have outscored their opponents, 18-6 in the first inning.
WMU was back in the scoring column in the bottom of the fourth as Forestell registered an RBI single to score Roche from second. Roche led off the inning with a walk and then was moved into scoring position thanks to an O'Keefe sacrifice bunt.
The Broncos piled on one more run in the bottom of the eighth as junior Nate Grys crossed home plate after a wild pitch by Toledo's Kyle Bischoff to give WMU a 5-0 advantage.
Toledo had its best scoring opportunity in the top of the ninth recording back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. However, the Bronco defense converted one of its two doubles plays on the day to quickly ground the Rockets. A fly out to O'Keefe ended the scoring threat and secured the shutout for the Broncos.
The Rockets dropped to 4-14 on the season and 0-1 in MAC play. UT's Michael Jacob registered his fourth loss of the season going seven innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits while walking two and striking out five.
Miami 4, Eastern Michigan 3
Boxscore
YPSILANTI, Mich. - The Miami baseball team opened Mid-American Conference play with a win in comeback fashion as it topped Eastern Michigan, 4-3, in 11 innings Friday. The RedHawks tallied two runs in the ninth to force extras and used a single tally in the 11th to record the victory.
The win puts Miami at 12-6 (1-0 MAC) on the season while the Eagles drop to 5-14 (0-1 MAC).
Down 3-1 entering the top of the ninth, Parker Massman led off the frame with a single to center field and got to second after Dallas Hall drew a walk. Following an out, Will Vogelgesang put down a bunt single to load the bases. After another out, Kyle Winkler came up to the plate as Miami's last chance. The redshirt sophomore delivered with a two-run single up the middle to knot the game at three apiece.
Shane Smith took over on the mound for the RedHawks in the bottom of the ninth and worked a scoreless inning to send the contest into extra innings. There, neither team could generate much in the 10th and the lone run came in the MU half of the 11th. Hall began the inning by reaching second base on an error, got moved to third on a Hayden Senger bunt single and scored on a Vogelgesang squeeze bunt to put Miami ahead 4-3. Andy Almquist took the hill for Miami in the bottom of the 11th. The junior stranded an Eagle runner on second to end the game thanks to a strikeout. He picked up his fourth save of the season in the process.
EMU got the game's first run of the day in the bottom of the second on a bases-loaded hit by pitch. The tally ended Red & White starting pitcher Spencer Mraz's day early as Gus Graham came out of the bullpen. Graham kept Miami in the game by going 6.2 innings in relief and allowed two runs on seven hits to go with five strikeouts.
The Red & White pulled even in the top half of the third when Vogelgesang led off with a triple to right field before touching home on a Adrian Texidor single to center.
EMU retook the lead in the fifth on a two-run single but the 3-1 lead was spoiled by the Miami rally late.
Winkler (2-for-6), Ross Haffey (2-for-5), Massman (3-for-5) and Vogelgesang (2-for-4) all finished with multi-hit days for the RedHawks.
The series continues Saturday with a 3 p.m. first pitch from Oestrike Stadium.
Bowling Green 6, Ohio 4
Boxscore
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University baseball team opened up Mid-American Conference play on Friday (March 23) afternoon with a 6-4 win over Ohio University at Steller Field. The win marked BGSU's first win in a conference opener since 2011.
Head Coach Danny Schmitz picked up his 699th win at Bowling Green. Schmitz is the MAC's active leader in all-time wins.
The Falcons are now 2-0 at home for the first time since 2012. With the victory over the Bobcats, Bowling Green improved to 5-16 on the season, while Ohio falls to 11-9 with the loss.
"I think our guys are starting to see what we are capable of when we execute the three phrases for nine innings," said Schmitz. "We even had a few hiccups in the eighth inning, but when you are playing with some confidence, you can overcome those things. I've been extremely happy with our effort and execution the past few games."
Ball State 5, Kent State 1
Boxscore
KENT, Ohio – A pair of home runs and solid pitching led the Ball State baseball team to a 5-1 win over Kent State in the Mid-American Conference opener Friday afternoon. Kent State was the preseason MAC favorite.
Starting pitcher John Baker (3-2) went 8.0 innings for a second consecutive start. The sophomore gave up a run in the second inning, but held Kent State to just two hits the following six innings. Baker finished with six strikeouts and now has 55 strikeouts this spring. Sophomore Nolan Gazouski came on in the ninth and struck out two Kent State batters.
Ball State (11-10, 1-0 MAC) got on the scoreboard first thanks sophomore Noah Powell's first collegiate home run. The shortstop notched a two-out, two-run opposite field home run in the top of the second inning.
After Kent State (10-7, 0-1) responded with a run in the bottom of the frame, both starting pitchers held the batters in check until the seventh inning. Powell came through again, this time with a two-out RBI single to plate junior William Baker and make the score, 3-1. Powell finished the game 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs.
Senior Colin Brockhouse notched his team-leading sixth home run, another two-run shot to right field, in the eighth to give the Cardinals some breathing room.
Kent State's Connor Wollersheim (1-1) was the hard-luck loser on the mound as the lefty gave up three runs on three hits in six-plus innings of work.
The two teams will continue the series tomorrow, March 24, with first pitch slated for 3 p.m.
For the most up-to-date information on the Ball State baseball team, please follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateBB and @CoachMaloney.
