Miami 13, Eastern Michigan 3
Boxscore
OXFORD, Ohio – Playing through a steady rain during a nearly four-hour contest, the Miami University baseball team broke open a tight game late to take a 13-3 victory over Eastern Michigan. The RedHawks match their best ever 25-game start at 20-5 and improve to 4-1 in the Mid-American Conference. The Eagles fall to 5-21-1 overall and 0-5 in the MAC.
Miami got on the board with three runs in the bottom of the first. Sophomore center fielder Cristian Tejada was hit by a pitch and then stole second. An infield single by junior third baseman Landon Stephens moved him to third, while a walk from senior right fielder Mackay Williams loaded the bases with one out. Junior shortstop Will Vogelgesang was hit by a pitch to force in a run. After the EMU center fielder dropped freshman designated hitter Cole Andrews' sac fly attempt, Landon Stephens came home to score. A sac fly from junior first baseman Charlie Harrigan scored Williams and made it 3-0.
Miami made it 4-0 in the bottom of the second when Williams hit a sac fly to score Tejada.
Eastern Michigan, which had threats in nearly every inning, was able to break through for two runs on three hits and one Miami error in the top of the third.
In the bottom of the fifth, Tejada singled home junior catcher Cal Elvers to make it 5-2. The Eagles got one back in the top of the sixth to cut the lead to 5-3.
The RedHawks began to pull away in the bottom of the sixth. With the bases loaded, Elvers singled through the left side to score Andrews and Williams and make it 7-3. A squeeze bunt in the bottom of the seventh by Williams brought home Tejada and made it 8-3.
Miami finished things off with five runs in the bottom of the eighth. Andrews singled up the middle and was replaced by a pinch runner, freshman Steve Hamer. Hamer stole second. He reached third on Harrigan's fielder's choice when he slid under the tag. A double from Elvers brought both runners home and made it 10-3. Redshirt junior second baseman Jordan Stephens scored Elvers with a single. With the bases loaded, a single by redshirt junior left fielder Kyle Winkler allowed Jordan Stephens to come home. Landon Stephens completed the RedHawk scoring with a sac fly that brought Tejada into home plate.
Elvers finished the day 3-for-3 at the plate with four RBIs and two runs scored. Winkler was 4-for-6 with one RBI. Tejada had four free passes (two walks and two hit by pitches) and finished 1-for-2 with one RBI and four runs scored. Freshman pitcher Tyler Bosma earned the win after coming into the game in the top of the fifth and throwing 1.1 innings.
Miami looks to complete the series sweep on Sunday when it takes on Eastern Michigan at 1 p.m.
Ohio 12, Bowling Green 2
Boxscore
ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio baseball team (6-18, 2-3 MAC) rolled to 12-2 victory over Bowling Green (9-13, 4-1 MAC) today at Bob Wren Stadium, evening the Mid-American Conference weekend series.
The Bobcats matched their season high with 12 runs scored and collected 13 hits -- including home runs by senior first baseman Rudy Rott (Holmen, Wis.), junior catcher Tanner Piechnick (Canonsburg, Pa.) and redshirt freshman left fielder Trevor Lukkes (Tustin, Calif.).
"This was, by a lot, our best offensive effort," said seventh-year head coach Rob Smith. "I don't think we've had as complete of an offensive day as we did today. We continued scoring throughout the game, found different ways to score. It was good. It was encouraging. Obviously, tomorrow is what matters. We've got to get tomorrow's game knocked out and try to win a series."
On the mound, redshirt freshman right-handed starting pitcher Jack Liberatore (Greensburg, Pa.) produced five strong innings, striking out six while permitting just one earned run on five hits and two walks. He earned the win to improve to 3-3 on the season. Liberatore has fanned at least six batters in four of his seven starts this year.
"He's just consistent," said Smith of Liberatore. "You know what you're going to get out of him. His floor has elevated in terms of, what is his worst day going to look like? He's shown what he can look like on his best days. He's very competitive. He stays within himself. He makes the team feel like every time he pitches, we've got a chance to win. That may look different in various ways, but, today, he did that again for us. Five solid innings. He kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win."
Ohio set the tone for the contest by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning to take control. Lukkes got things going by smacking a double down the left field line. One out later, Rott delivered a two-run home run down the left field line -- his team-high fourth home run of the season. Piechnick followed with a solo home run to left to make it a 3-0 lead for the Bobcats.
"That's big," said Smith of Ohio's start to the game. "That brings great energy to the game when you can score early like that, and, certainly, score on back-to-back home runs. That gives you a big lift and is certainly a confidence booster given the offensive challenges that we've had."
The Bobcats made it a 4-0 lead in the home half of the third. Lukkes led off with another double to left, then took third base on a balk by Bowling Green freshman right-handed pitcher Tyler Hays. After sophomore designated hitter Aaron Levy (Cincinnati, Ohio) drew a walk and stole second, Lukkes scored on a base hit to center by Rott.
Bowling Green got on the board in the fourth when senior shortstop Neil Lambert sent a one-out double down the right field line and scored one out later on a double to right by senior catcher Joe McGuinnes. The Bobcats answered right back, though, with two more runs in the bottom of the frame to extend their lead to 6-1. Redshirt freshman right fielder Cole Revels (Charlotte, N.C.) and junior third baseman Trevor Hafner (Perrysburg, Ohio) hit back-to-back one-out singles through the left side. After Hafner stole second to put two in scoring position, Lukkes drew a walk to load up the bases. Levy coaxed a walk to bump across Revels, then Hafner scored on a wild pitch to make it a five-run lead for Ohio.
The Falcons got a run back in the top of the sixth when McGuinness belted a two-out solo homer to straightaway center. Ohio kept adding on, though, tacking on two more runs in the bottom of the inning. Hafner led off with a single to right, then stole second and took third on the same play on a throwing error by McGuinness. That set the table for Lukkes, who belted a two-run homer to left center to extend the Bobcats' advantage to 8-2.
Ohio recorded four more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. Hafner led off with a single to center. One out later, Levy drew a walk, and he and Hafner both advanced 90 feet courtesy of a balk by Bowling Green freshman left-hander Jay Ward. Rott loaded up the bases for the Bobcats by drawing a walk. Piechnick was hit by a pitch, allowing Hafner to score. One out later, redshirt sophomore second baseman Michael Richardson (Cambridge, Md.) drew a walk to bring home Levy. The Bobcats scored their final two runs when sophomore shortstop Treyben Funderburg (Beavercreek, Ohio) beat out an infield single to short to plate Rott and redshirt freshman Jack Coney (Arlington Heights, Ill.), who was pinch running for Piechnick, scored on the same play when Bowling Green senior first baseman Cam Daugherty committed a throwing error.
Four Bobcats combined for 10 of Ohio's 13 hits. Lukkes finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, a walk, two RBIs and three runs scored. Hafner tallied three singles and scored three runs. Rott went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, three RBIs and two runs scored. Funderburg doubled and singled and drove in a run.
After Liberatore exited the game, sophomore righty Edward Kutt IV (Westlake, Calif.) struck out three over three innings of relief. He gave up one earned run on two hits an and a walk. Freshman right-hander Eamon Horwedel (Ann Arbor, Mich.) came on to pitch the ninth and retired the Falcons in order to lock up the victory for Ohio.
Bowling Green was led at the plate by McGuinness, who went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBIs and a run scored. Junior center fielder Jake Wilson finished with a triple and a single.
Hays took the loss on the mound for the Falcons, dropping to 1-2 on the season. He struck out five but allowed six earned runs on seven hits and a walk in 3.1 innings.
"That's a very big win for our team," said Liberatore. "We needed to win today because we still have a chance to win the series tomorrow, and that's the most important part. Every week, I'm just trying to get better at whatever I've been struggling at. Big confidence boost today."
Ohio and Bowling Green will square off in the rubber match of the three-game MAC weekend series on Sunday (March 31). First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
Central Michigan 14, Northern Illinois 10
Boxscore
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan baseball team used a 10-run sixth inning in building a 13-5 lead on Saturday as the Chippewas eventually posted a 14-10 victory over Northern Illinois at Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium.
The win gave the Chippewas a sweep of the three-game Mid-American Conference series. CMU is 19-7, 5-1 league. NIU is 7-20, 3-3.
CMU, which has won five consecutive games and seven of its last eight, finished with 15 hits, drew 11 walks and stranded 14 baserunners. Five Chippewas finished with two or more hits, and Evan Kratt and Jason Sullivan combined to drive in seven runs.
"We competed our butts off," CMU coach Jordan Bischel said. "We left a lot of guys on base early, but we were threatening. We don't always break through right away, but when you keep applying pressure eventually good things are going to happen.
"It's never easy to sweep a team, especially in conference play because of the familiarity. We always take it one game at a time and don't think about the results of the series. But now that it's over, to get three is really good job by our guys."
Northern Illinois scored four runs, highlighted by a Dylan Lonteen three-run homer, in the top of the sixth inning in seizing a 5-3 lead.
The lead did not last long.
CMU sent 14 batters to the plate in the bottom half of the inning, scoring 10 runs on six hits and taking advantage of four walks and a hit batsman.
The big blows were struck by Zach Heeke, Griffin Lockwood-Powell and Evan Kratt. Heeke had a two-run double, while Kratt and Lockwood-Powell each had a two-run single.
Lockwood-Powell finished with three hits, while Heeke, Zavier Warren, Jacob Crum and Kratt had two hits each. Kratt had four RBI and Sullivan had three.
Garrett Willis (1-0) earned his first career victory, allowing one earned run on two hits over 1 2/3 innings. Willis relieved starter Tyler Hankins, who surrendered four runs and on six hits while striking out three over 5 1/3 innings. Zach Kohn and Jack Collins each worked an inning of relief for the Chippewas.
