Mid-American Conference

CHARLESTON, S.C. - Two games against Notre Dame, two Ball State victories. A shutout by Mike Pachmayer and the Cardinals pitching staff and situational hitting lifted the BSU baseball team to a 2-0 win over Notre Dame. Ball State beat Notre Dame twice in 24 hours, outscoring the Irish 8-2.

Pachmayer earned his first career win by cruising through the Irish, working 6.0 shutout innings while allowing three baserunners. The junior lefty now owns a 2.31 ERA in three appearances on the year.

Kyle Nicolas pitched the final three frames for the save, lighting up radar guns in the process and preserving the shutout. He struck out seven of the 10 batter he faced and allowed just one baserunner. Nicolas now owns three saves on the young season.

Notre Dame (4-7) managed just nine hits and five walks in 18 innings against Ball State. As a staff, the Cardinals struck out 27 while allowing just two extra-base hits.

Ball State's runs came by moving the baseball, with both runs coming on sacrifice flies. Ross Messina tripled and would cross home on a sac fly by Aaron Simpson in the 3rd inning to give BSU a 1-0 lead. In the 8th, Chase Sebby drove home Noah Powell with a sac fly to center. Ball State collected eight hits to Notre Dame's two.

Sunday's win over Notre Dame gives head coach Rich Maloney 799 career wins.

Ball State (5-5) is now 3-0 on its spring trip. The Cardinals will play Charleston Southern Monday at 11 before heading to Florida for five games. 

Charlotte, N.C. –The Kent State University baseball team earned its fourth win of the season, topping Charlotte (6-5), 5-3  in the series finale at Hayes Stadium Saturday afternoon. Senior Pavin Parks knocked his first home run of the season, a three-run shot in the top of the fifth that secured the victory.

"As a team, I think that was the best win of the year," head coach Jeff Duncan said, "We played great baseball today. Our two-strike approach was really good - the best we've had all year – and we came up with timely hits. I think Carew is playing really good baseball and it was a really big homer from Parks."

Gridlocked until the fifth inning, the Flashes took the lead in the top of the frame as Justin Kirby singled up the middle, advanced and scored on two errors by the Charlotte defense. Senior Pavin Parks followed with a three-run home run rocketed over the right field fence to give the Flashes a 4-0 lead.

The Niners responded in the bottom of the fifth inning with their first run of the game, a lead-off home run over the left field wall.

Kent State added the its final run of the day in the top of the seventh. Junior Cam Touchette singled up the middle with two outs and stole second. Sophomore Ben Carew recorded the RBI, scoring Touchette with a single driven to left field. 

The Niners started to come back in the bottom of the eighth as Charlotte started a two-run rally that was cut short by a great defensive play by Carew, firing out a runner at third from left field to hold the final score at 5-3.

The Flashes notched 11 hits on the day. Carew and senior Pete Schuler each recorded multi-hit games, going 2-for-4 while Parks went 1-for-4 with the three-run home run. Carew, Kian O'Brien and Touchette also added stolen bases in the finale.

"I thought we got a good start out of Schreiber," Duncan explained. "He got a little tired in the fifth and unfortunately didn't get the decision, but Albright came in and did a great job."

Kent State pitching allowed just six hits and struck out eight on the day to a Charlotte offense that has averaged more than eight hits a game this season. Beginning the game with four scoreless innings, senior John Schreiber (1-1) started on the bump for the Flashes, tying a career-high five strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work. Freshman Luke Albright (1-0) recorded the win out of the bullpen, tossing 2.2 innings and adding 3 strikeouts. Sophomore Jack Zimmerman (0-0) closed the game allowing two hits in 1.2 innings of work.

"I'm really proud as a whole," Duncan added. "We didn't play great yesterday, but if you look at it as a whole, we've won four of the last six games we've played. I'm excited for where this team is going. We are continually growing. It's been fun to watch our freshman and younger guys perform and grow. Our seniors are doing a great job of bridging that gap as well, every one of them."

Next up, the Flashes will travel to Morgantown, W.V. March 8-10 to face West Virginia in a three-game series.

Davidson, N.C.— The Toledo baseball team dropped its series finale at Davidson on Sunday, 3-2.

Originally scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start, the game was pushed up to 11:00 a.m. due to the threat of afternoon rain in the area. After tying the game in the top of the seventh, the Rockets surrendered a two-out, go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to fall to 4-5 on the season. Strikeouts were an issue for Toledo all day, as hitters punched out a season-high 15 times on Sunday.

Freshman Ryan Thompson slugged the game-tying homer that brought UT back in the game in the seventh inning, the first of his career. Senior Riley Campbell was the only Rocket to notch multiple hits, going 2-for-4 at the plate. Junior Layne Schnitz-Paxton threw six solid innings, striking out six and allowing two earned runs.

The Rockets' spring break trip through continues this week with games at UNC-Wilmington on Tuesday and Wednesday. Both contests are scheduled for 4:00 p.m. starts.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Central Michigan baseball team built an early lead and got solid pitching from starter Pat Leathermanand the bullpen in downing Pittsburgh, 4-3, on Sunday in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational at Osceola Heritage Park.
 
It was a bounceback win for CMU (8-3), which saw its win streak end at seven games with a 5-1 loss to Butler on Saturday. The Panthers are 6-4.
 
"Our pitching and defense did an outstanding job of making it hard to score," CMU coach Jordan Bischel said. "It was a struggle to get the big hit today. It's a credit to our guys that they still found a way to get a win."
 
CMU is off on Monday, and is scheduled to play on Tuesday (10 a.m.) against Saint Peter's.
 
The Chippewas struck for three runs in the first inning. Zavier Warren's RBI double started the scoring, then the Chippewas added another run on an error and a third on a wild pitch. Warren doubled and scored on an error in the second to up CMU's lead to 4-3.
 
Pitt chipped away with a run in third inning, one in the fourth and one in the eighth.
 
Jack Collins pitched out of an eighth-inning jam, stranding the potential tying run at third base. Logan Buczkowski worked the ninth for his second save.
 
The Chippewas collected nine hits, drew five walks and had two hit batsmen, but stranded 14 baserunners. Chase Rollin singled and doubles, Zach Gilles had two hits, and Jacob Crum doubled for CMU.
 
CMU starter Pat Leatherman (2-0) allowed two earned runs on six hits over five innings for the victory. Collins allowed one run on three hits and struck out two over three frames.
 
Buczkowski issued a two-out walk in the ninth, but then got a strikeout, his second of the inning, to end the game.
 
"Logan does an outstanding job of staying composed and not letting the situation get too big for him," Bischel said. "When you combine that with his outstanding ability it makes him hard to beat in the ninth."?

TAMPA, Fla. – The Western Michigan baseball team plated four runs on four hits in the top of the ninth but came up just short in the bottom half of the inning as South Florida edged the Broncos, 10-9 in the series finale on Sunday.  

Offensively the Broncos generated nine runs on 12 hits against USF, marking the third straight game earning double digit hits. WMU's nine runs was the second most scored in a game this season and fifth straight game with at least five. The Brown & Gold had seven players register a hit with redshirt senior Andrew Stone and redshirt sophomore Logan Hudson earning multi-hit games.

Hudson had a career day on Sunday knocking in six of the Broncos' nine runs while going 4-for-5 at the plate including a bases clearing double to take the lead in the top of the ninth. Hudson's career-high six RBIs was three shy of the program record set by Fred Michalski back in 1963.

The Caledonia, Mich., native also earned his second home run of the season with a three-run homer in the top of the first to give WMU an early 3-0 lead. Hudson's six RBIs was the most by a Bronco since senior Nate Grys had seven against Northwestern last season. The redshirt sophomore became the second Bronco this season to register at least four RBIs in a game.

Hudson's home run in the first inning marked the fifth straight game WMU has registered a home run, improving its total to 10 through nine games this season.

Redshirt senior Andrew Stone was 3-for-5 at the plate for his first multi-hit game of the season and matched his career-high with two RBIs. Stone also matched his career high for the tenth time with two runs scored.

On the mound the Brown & Gold used nine pitchers with freshman Easton Sikorski and juniors Tyler Thorington and Drew Devine each recording two strikeouts. Out of the bullpen Sikorski pitched a career-high 2.1 innings allowing no runs on two hits.

In the three-game series WMU had a staggering .315 batting average with three home runs, 19 RBIs, five doubles and 21 runs scored. WMU also had .380 on-base percentage and a .463 slugging percentage.

Western Michigan be off tomorrow as they travel to Port Charlotte, Fla to play three games over two days at the Snowbird Classic. WMU begins play on Tuesday, March 5 with a doubleheader against St. Bonaventure at 11:00 a.m. followed by Villanova at 2:30 p.m.

WMU gained the early advantage on the scoreboard as Hudson rocketed a three run home run over the left field wall for a 3-0 lead. The Bulls answered in the home half of the third inning, using four hits to score three runs and tie the ball game back up at 3-3.
 
Stone gave the Broncos the lead back in the top half of the fourth, dropping a single in between the Bulls second baseman and right fielder with the bases loaded. Senior Cooper Marshall and sophomore Sean O'Keefe came around to score on the play to extend WMU's lead to 5-3.
 
South Florida countered with a run of its own in the bottom half of the inning, registering three straight singles to cut into the Bronco advantage. Both teams were held scoreless in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings before USF regained the lead in the bottom of the eighth, scoring four runs on two hits.    

Trailing by three heading into the top of the ninth the Broncos rattled off four runs on four hits to lead 9-8 heading into the bottom half. The ninth inning rally began with a lead-off single back up the middle by Stone followed by a single to right center field by sophomore Blake Dunn.

With runners on the corners Forestell delivered with an RBI single back up the middle that went off the pitcher's glove, scoring Stone from third to cut into the deficit. A walk by junior Ethan Hajdukovic loaded the bases for Logan Hudson who roped a bases clearing three RBI double off the right centerfield wall to propel the Broncos back on top, 9-8.

In the bottom of the ninth USF tied the game up after a single through the left side and two batters late brought around the winning run to secure the 10-9 victory.?

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas. (EMUEagles.com) - In a weekend filled with fog delays and abnormalities, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team left Chapman Field without a victory, as it dropped both games of a doubleheader to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Sunday, March 3. The two-game Sunday set saw the Eagles overpowered 7-2 in a seven-inning game one, before falling in the afternoon finale, 8-2. 

EMU (2-9-1) fell behind early in both games, forcing the squad to play comeback for the entirety of the day. In the early game, EMU saw itself trailing 3-0 after the first inning. Although the Eagles fought to score two runs in the next frame, bringing the score to 3-2, they could not produce the offensive firepower to overcome the early deficit, eventually falling 7-2. 

The story was similar in the second game, where although the Eagles tied the game at 2-all in the early going, they fell behind 4-2 in the third inning when Nick Anderson blasted a two-run homer. After falling behind, EMU was unable to slow the TAMCC offense or spark their own, eventually dropping the series finale, 8-2.
 
GAME ONE: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 7, Eastern Michigan 2
Game one of the doubleheader saw defensive mishaps plague the Eagles early. A set of errors in the first inning allowed the Islanders to establish a 3-0  lead, a deficit which EMU could not overcome. Despite early struggles, sophomore starter Holden Cook (Oklahoma City, Okla.-Casady-Murray State)showed resolve, tossing the first three innings without giving up an earned run. 

Although unable to outpace the Islanders, the Eagle offense provided production in the second inning. Senior captain John Rensel Jr. (Tallmadge, Ohio-Tallmadge) drew a lead-off walk to set the stage for EMU. Rensel's patience was rewarded, as the Mid-American Conference leader in triples, senior Zachary Owings (Saline, Mich.-Saline) notched his third three-bagger of the season, driving in Rensel. Redshirt junior Jacob Bolton (Lewis Center, Ohio.-Bishop Watterson (Sinclair C.C.)) added his second RBI of the season in the ensuing at-bat, driving in Owings with a single to bring the game to 3-2.

Despite giving up seven runs on 10 hits, sophomore left-hander Scott Granzotto (Northville, Mich.-Gabriel Richard) shined for EMU, pitching 2.2 innings, giving up no runs, and striking out four along the way. 

Despite Granzotto's push to hold TAMCC in check, the Eagles offense was unable to add to their total, eventually falling 7-2.

GAME TWO: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 8, Eastern Michigan 2
The second game of the double-feature again lacked the offensive fireworks that have largely characterized the Eagles in 2019. While Eastern was able to erase an early 2-0 deficit to tie the game at two in the second inning, the lead was quickly regained by TAMCC, who would score six unanswered runs to top EMU, 8-2.

Blistered by the strong offense of A&M, the Eagles gave up 14 hits en route to its lopsided loss. Within the defensive struggles, however, were positives for the Green and White. Coming in for the sixth and seventh innings, senior Mitchell Sparks (Willis, Texas-Carmel (Ind.)(Iowa Lakes C.C.)) provided masterful work on the mound for EMU. Needing just 29 pitches to record six outs, Sparks gave up just two hits, and no runs during Sunday's performance. Most impressive was Sparks' consistency, as 69 percent of his tosses went for strikes. 

Offensively, the Eagles struggled to gain traction against Islander pitching, mustering just two runs for the second straight game. While the run total failed to improve, the Eagles notched eight hits in the series finale, a five hit improvement from game one of Sunday's doubleheader. Leading the effort was redshirt sophomore Jeff Timko (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Brother Rice.) who tallied four hits in a perfect effort at the plate. With his monster day at the plate, Timko is the first Eagle to notch four hits in a contest for the Green and White in the 2019 season. Timko is also the last EMU player to have notched five hits in a contest, doing so in a 11-5 victory over Nicholls State, exactly one year ago to the day, on March 3, 2018. Senior Cameron Cruz(Chandler, Ariz.-Hamilton) continued his impressive season at the dish, as the MAC leader in hits (16 as of 3-2-19), notched a single in the seventh inning for EMU, extending his on base streak to nine games. 

Following a long awaited trip home, Eastern returns to game action with a four-game set against Marshall University, Friday-Sunday, March. 8-10, in Huntington, W. Va. The series will commence at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 8. with a single game to be played at Appalachian Power Park in neighboring Charleston, W.Va. Saturday, March 9. will see doubleheader action between the Eagles and Thundering Herd, with games set to be played at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., respectively. The Eagles will conclude their series on Sunday, March 10. with a single game, set for 1 p.m.