Friday’s Baseball Results
Eastern Michigan 7, Central Michigan (12 inn.)
Ball State 4, Ohio 1
Toledo 6, Northern Illinois 3 (10 inn.)
Kent State 11, Bowling Green 0
Miami 10, Western Michigan 6
Stories courtesy of MAC Sports Information Departments
Eastern Michigan 7, Central Michigan (12 inn.)
Boxscore
MT. PLEASANT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team used a furious late comeback and extra innings to knock off Central Michigan University, 7-6, Friday afternoon, May 4, at Theunissen Stadium. EMU (17-26, 10-9 MAC) trailed by five runs in the eighth, before tying it up in the ninth, and eventually winning it in 12 innings.
It was Eastern's fourth extra-inning affair of the season, moving to 3-1 on the year in such games. It was also EMU's third comeback win when trailing entering the eighth inning or later this season.
The EMU bullpen was clutch in the late innings, going the last five frames with no runs allowed. Freshman Dillon Schroeder (Temperance, Mich.-Bedford Senior) went the most innings, pitching a career-high three, allowing just one hit. Earning the first win of his career was junior Caleb Hester (Coloma, Mich.-Coloma) after pitching a scoreless 11th inning. Coming on for the save was freshman Thomas House (Okeana, Ohio-Ross) with a 1-2-3 12th to earn his second of the season.
Offensively, EMU used eight hits to score its seven runs, led by a big three-hit day from sophomore Zachary Owings (Saline, Mich.-Saline), including a solo home run and a double, as well as two walks and two runs scored. Junior John Rensel Jr. (Tallmadge, Ohio-Tallmadge) knocked in a game-high two, while freshman Nate Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a clutch RBI single in the ninth to tie the game at six. It is the longest hitting streak for an EMU player since 2012.
Eastern got on the board in the top of the first with a bang, as Owings smacked a solo home run with two outs to deep left center. His third dinger of the season put EMU 1-0 in the first. CMU (19-24-1, 11-8 MAC) answered right back in the bottom of the second with a two-out RBI of their own, making it all even after two.
Senior starting pitcher Justin McMurtrey (Redding, Calif.-Shasta (Butte C.C.)) worked around some hits in the third and fourth to keep it tied at one into the middle innings. CMU broke the tie in the fifth with another two-out RBI, putting them ahead for the first time into the sixth. After a scoreless sixth, CMU added a grand slam in the seventh, making it 6-1 into the final two frames.
The Eagle offense got into gear in the top of the eighth, getting the four runs back to get back within one. Sophomore Devin Hager (Commerce Township, Mich.-Walled Lake Northern) led off with a double in the gap, which was followed by a hit by pitch and walk to load the bags up with no outs. The first runner scored on a wild pitch, which was followed by another walk to keep the bags juiced for junior Kolton Schenker (Augusta, Kan.-Augusta (Labette C.C.)).
Schenker delivered with an RBI single, putting the tally at 6-3 and keeping the bags filled with Eagles. The next batter, Rensel, continued the offense, driving in two more on a base knock, to make the score 6-5. Coming on in relief, Schroeder tossed a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth to keep it tight into the ninth.
EMU completed the comeback in the ninth inning, knotting the game at six on a RBI base hit from Nate Jones, which extended his hitting streak to 17 games. After Hager led off with a walk, he stole second, and was eventually knocked in on Jones' solid single just past the first baseman, forcing the bottom of the ninth.
There, Schroeder retired his sixth-straight Chippewa batter to send the game into the 10th. After a 1-2-3 top of the tenth from the Eagles, Schroeder navigated through his third scoreless inning in the bottom half to take it to the 11th.
EMU went 1-2-3 again in the top of the 11th, and Hester came on from the pen for the bottom half. Despite allowing the bases to become loaded, Hester worked his way out of the jam to send it to the 12th.
Hester's heroics allowed EMU to finally take the lead back in the top of the 12th, as junior Max Schuemann (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) led off with a single. On a stolen base attempt, the throw down to second deflected off Schuemann, and into no man's land, and he took the opportunity to come all the way home to recapture the lead, 7-6.
In the bottom of the 12th, House entered looking for the save. He got some help from his defense, going 1-2-3 on three balls in play, locking up his second save of the year.
EMU and CMU gets back into action tomorrow afternoon, May 5, for game two of the series from Theunissen Stadium. First pitch is set for 2:05 p.m.
Ball State 4, Ohio 1
Boxscore
ATHENS, Ohio – The Ball State baseball team picked up its sixth straight Mid-American Conference victory Friday evening with a 4-1 decision over host Ohio at Bob Wren Stadium.
Senior Jeff Riedel homered for the fifth time in 12 games to give Ball State (24-20, 11-8 MAC) an early 2-0 lead in the second inning. A John Ricotta double in the seventh put two runners in scoring position and set up back-to-back sacrifice fly balls from junior Zach Milam and sophomore Noah Powell to extend the lead to 4-0.
Ohio (20-24, 8-11) tallied its lone run in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a Rudy Rott solo home run.
The teams had to wait through a long delay in the top of the fifth inning due to heavy rain. Ball State starting pitcher John Baker was pulled at that point and finished with a solid stat line of 4.0 innings pitched, three hits, no runs allowed and eight strikeouts. He became the sixth Cardinal to reach 100 strikeouts in a season and currently sits with 103 strikeouts.
Reliever Nick Floyd picked up the win and improved to 5-0 by tossing the final five innings. The righty finished one strikeout shy of his personal best with six total.
The Cardinals and Bobcats are right back in action tomorrow, May 5 with game two of the series. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
Toledo 6, Northern Illinois 3 (10 inn.)
Boxscore
DeKalb, Ill.— The Toledo baseball team kicked off its weekend series in thrilling fashion, topping Northern Illinois 6-3 in extra innings.
With one out in the top of the ninth, senior AJ Montoya tied the game with a two-run home run. In the top of the tenth, freshman Trace Hatfield laced a single up the middle, scoring two to give the Rockets their first lead of the afternoon.
Northern Illinois led for much of the game, having taken a 3-0 advantage after four innings. But the Toledo bullpen held strong, pitching 5.2 scoreless innings and giving the bats time to do some damage.
Montoya and senior Brad Boss both hit late home runs for the Rockets and all nine starters had at least one hit on Friday. Sophomore Joey Prechtel started on the mound and gave Toledo 4.1 innings. Freshman Bryce Davis, sophomore Layne Schnitz-Paxton, sophomore Austin Calopietro, and junior Nate Haugh all pitched well out of the bullpen to help Toledo secure the big win.
Toledo and Northern Illinois will return to the diamond on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. CT.
Kent State 11, Bowling Green 0
Boxscore
KENT, OHIO – Kent State pitching struck out 19 Bowling Green Falcons and the Golden Flashes stayed hot in an 11-0 rout which gave the program its 30th win of the season.
Kent State (30-13) has now won at least 30 games in 20 straight seasons. Perhaps even more remarkable, the Flashes have just one sub-.500 season since 1981. The latest triumph was made possible when starter Joey Murray struck out 14 and carried a shutout into the eighth. Jack Zimmerman worked the eighth and struck out two and John Matthews fanned three in the ninth.
Offensively, the Golden Flashes banged out 15 hits. Five KSU hitters logged multi-hit games – including Tim DalPorto, who blasted his sixth home run of the year in the seventh. That gave the hosts a 9-0 lead. The Flashes took the early lead when Nick Kanavas, Pavin Parks and DalPorto drove runs in. Reilly Hawkins also stayed hot, going 2-3 with an RBI.
Murray – who struck out the side in three straight innings – won his eighth game. He lowered his ERA to 1.02. The Flashes recorded their fourth shutout of the year. They also dropped their magic number to clinch the regular season title to seven.
The series with the Falcons continues Saturday at 4 p.m.
Miami 10, Western Michigan 6
Boxscore
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Miami baseball team scored seven runs over the final three innings en route to a 10-6 victory over Western Michigan in the series opener on Friday.
The RedHawks (27-15, 12-7 MAC) got an early lead with a pair of two-out hits. A Hayden Senger double followed by a Landon Stephens single netted MU a 1-0 lead after just a half an inning of play.
A two-run single in the bottom of the second put the Broncos in front, 2-1, but the RedHawks would pull even just a few innings later in the top of the fourth. Will Vogelgesang led off the frame with a double, got to third on a groundout and scored on a Kyle Winkler sacrifice fly. WMU (19-20, 8-9 MAC) moved back ahead in the home half of the inning though, pushing across a single tally on a sacrifice fly of its own.
The back-and-fourth affair continued into the fifth. In the Miami half of the inning, Dallas Hall reached on a one-out double, got to third on a wild pitch and came home thanks to a Senger base hit up the middle. The 3-3 tie lasted a very short time as a two-run Bronco homer in the bottom half of the frame made it 5-3 WMU after five.
Following a scoreless sixth, the RedHawks posted a three-run seventh to grab a 6-5 advantage. Adrian Texidor walked and stole second to begin the frame. Following a strikeout, Ross Haffey drew a base on balls, setting up a three-run blast to left by Senger, his third homer on the season.
Miami got a single tally in the eighth to push the lead to 7-5. Parker Massman walked to lead off the inning, got to second on a Cal Elvers base hit and then scored thanks to a Texidor single to right. An RBI double in the bottom half of the frame pulled the Broncos back to within one at 7-6.
The Red & White got themselves some insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Senger walked and Stephens singled to put two on for Vogelgesang, who drove in the first run of the inning with a single to center. After a groundout that put baserunners on second and third, an intentional walk loaded the bases. A wild pitch then allowed Stephens to hustle home and score. On to pinch hit, Cristian Tejada walked to re-load the bases. Texidor helped push across the third and final run of the frame by working a walk of his own to make it 10-6.
Senger led the way offensively by going 3-for-3 with four runs batted in, three runs scored, one double and one home run. Texidor went 1-for-2 with two runs batted in and one run scored.
Spencer Mraz got the start on the mound for Miami and allowed five runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings of work. Shane Smith (2-2) picked up the win after tossing two innings in relief, allowing just one run on one hit. Andy Almquist collected his sixth save of the season, throwing a scoreless 1.2 final frames with four strikeouts.
The series continues Saturday with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
