Sunday’s Baseball Results
Central Michigan 8, Eastern Michigan 4
Kent State 11, Western Michigan 10
Ohio 9, Ball State 7
Toledo 4, Northern Illinois 1
Miami 6, Akron 1
Stories courtesy of MAC Sports Information Departments
Central Michigan 8, Eastern Michigan 4
Boxscore
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Griffin Lockwood-Powell drove in three runs and Cameron Brown survived a rocky first inning on Sunday as the Central Michigan baseball team downed Eastern Michigan, 8-4, completing a sweep of a four-game Mid-American Conference series at Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium.
The Chippewas improved to 36-16 overall, 27-9 in the MAC, and remain in first place in the league with one series to play, next weekend at Toledo. CMU's lead is at two games over Ball State, which fell 9-7 at Ohio on Sunday.
"We're going to be excited to play and we're going to have fun," said CMU coach Jordan Bischel, whose team is seeking to defend its 2019 MAC title. "We'll embrace and enjoy it.
"It's really hard to get to this point. Most teams don't. That's the nature of championships; only one team out of each league wins one. Can't guarantee we're going to win next week, but we can guarantee that we'll embrace it and enjoy it."
The Chippewas enjoyed Senior Day on Sunday and the series, as they outscored the Eagles by a combined 27-6 and got solid-to-outstanding efforts from all four of their starters and the bullpen.
Brown, one of those many seniors playing for the final time in the Chippewas' home park, surrendered two runs on three hits in the first inning. He settled in after that, allowing four runs on nine hits and striking out two over six innings in improving to 7-2.
"I've had better (outings) that's for sure," Brown said. "But it's baseball. Sometimes the ball gets knocked around a little bit. You just stick with your mental process and stick with what we know we do well here and battle through it."
The Chippewas tied the game in the bottom of the first on Lockwood-Powell's two-run single, and then went ahead for good with three runs in the second on Justin Simpson's RBI triple, a Mario Camilletti run-scoring single, and a Lockwood-Powell sacrifice fly.
"I knew they were going to do it," Brown said of the Chippewas' offense. "They always do. I'm never worried about giving up a couple in the first.
"It means everything to me to pitch here on the last time we're going to play here and the last chance I ever have. I'm just so grateful, so thankful for having a season and not only that, but this place, Theunissen means everything to me. CMU means everything to me. Mount Pleasant means everything to me. To have this chance, means the world to me. So grateful."
Grant Frazer, another senior, closed it out with three scoreless innings for his fourth save.
Camilletti, CMU's junior second baseman, had two hits and finished the series with eight hits, four of them doubles, in 14 at-bats. He also scored six runs and drew a walk, his 58th of the season, and needs one more to tie Zavier Warren's program record of 59 set in 2019.
Camilletti, in his first season as a Chippewa after transferring from Oakland, raised his on-base percentage to a sterling .508 with his big weekend. He ranks in the top 25 nationally in that category.
"If there's a better leadoff hitter in the country, you're going to have to work hard to find him," Bischel said. "He's just a tough out every time. He'll take his walks if you're going to give them to him, but like we saw this weekend, if you're going to pitch to him, he's going to hit and he's going to drive the ball."
Third baseman Aidan Shepardson, another transfer (McLennan CC), led the Chippewas with a season-high three hits including a double, while Jakob Marsee had two hits to finish the weekend 7-for-13.
Sunday's win was particularly gratifying for Bischel in that it came on Senior Day for a group of players who have produced more than 150 wins during their time in Mount Pleasant, and many played significant roles in the magical 2019 season, when CMU won both the MAC regular-season and tournament titles and went to the NCAA Tournament.
Another league crown and NCAA berth could come in seven days.
"They get a ton of credit," Bischel said. They've invested in themselves and in this program and our coaching staff. They really put a lot into this and last year was tough with the COVID and all of that kind of stuff and they just kept going, kept working.
"I don't think people realize how tough it is to have a great fifth year. They expected to be done last year and they had to recharge and go back to work. You don't just naturally play well. You have to come out and work and prepare."
Kent State 11, Western Michigan 10
Boxscore
KENT, OHIO- The Golden Flashes honored their nine-man senior class and Kent State erased a five-run deficit in a wild 11-10 victory over Western Michigan on Sunday afternoon.
All four seniors in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit. Cam Touchette once again led the way going 2-for-4 with four driven in, highlighted by his go-ahead home run in the seventh.
Touchette's solo homer was his third of the series and gave the Flashes a 9-8 lead in the seventh, capping a game-long comeback. Western Michigan scored five times in the first inning. It stayed that way until the third when the Flashes strung together four hits to cut the Broncos lead to 5-4. Michael McNamara and Justin Miknis provided run-scoring singles and Justin Kirby thought he had done the same, if not for a spectacular diving catch from Bronco right fielder Will Morrison.
As was the story for most of the game, Western Michigan had an answer for the Golden Flashes as they rebuilt their lead in their half of the fourth. The Broncos chased starter Benny Roebuck and got a single and sacrifice fly off senior Trevor Pittman to lead 7-4. Pittman pitched well in relief on Sunday, going two and a third, allowing just a run on two hits, while striking out two.
The Flashes answered back again, scoring twice in the fourth and again getting the tying run on, but couldn't draw even. Seniors Kevin Dobos and Touchette each had doubles in the inning to pull Kent State to within one at 7-6. The Broncos made it 8-6 in the fifth and the Flashes finally drew even in the bottom half. Kent State got some help from the Broncos, scoring on a dropped third strike wild pitch and Collin Matthews' hit by pitch with the bases loaded.
It stayed tied at 8 until the seventh when Touchette parked a 2-0 pitch from Ryan Watt over the centerfield wall for the go-ahead homer. An inning later, Mathews provided much needed insurance, getting a ball to skip through the infield for a two-run single, giving Kent State an 11-8 lead.
That looked to be enough for Max Rippl who had sent down eight straight entering the ninth inning. However, an infield single and a double put two runners in scoring position and summoned Jack Kartsonas from the bullpen. The freshman gave up a single and a sacrifice fly to the deepest part of the ballpark to make it 11-10. The sophomore rallied back to strike out Logan Hudson to earn his first save of his Kent State career.
The proper senior day sendoff makes the Flashes 27-24 on the season and drops Western Michigan to 21-25, both teams are now 20-16 in conference play. Kent State will wrap up their home season on Tuesday night, welcoming in Akron for a mid-week rivalry game. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.
Ohio 9, Ball State 7
Boxscore
ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio baseball team (27-22, 18-18 MAC) split a four-game Mid-American Conference series with Ball State (34-8, 25-11 MAC) after winning the finale, 9-7, on Sunday (May 23), sending its 2021 senior class out with a win in their final game at Bob Wren Stadium.
Senior second baseman Treyben Funderburg (Beavercreek, Ohio) started the action for Ohio in the second inning with a double that scored a run to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead. Ball State would take back the lead with runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings, however, giving the Cardinals a 5-3 advantage.
Going into the bottom of the seventh, the Bobcats trailed by two runs until senior catcher Tanner Piechnick (Canonsburg, Pa.) cleared the bases with a two-run double. Piechnick then took the lead back when he scored off a wild pitch. The Bobcats continued the big inning with a solo home run from graduate student first baseman Harry Witwer-Dukes (Monmouth, Ore.), punctuating the four-run rally in the frame.
"Words can't describe when you're out there, especially on senior day," Piechnick said. "The last game you're playing at The Wren, to drive in two RBIs and tie the game, then score the run to take the lead is a great feeling."
Ohio added two more runs for insurance in the eighth inning to extend the lead to four. Ball State got two runs back in the top of the ninth before Edward Kutt IV (Westlake, Calif.) closed the game for the final time this season at home, picking up his fifth save of the year.
Senior pitcher Brett Manis (Port Huron, Mich.) earned the win on the mound for the Bobcats after pitching for three innings of relief and striking out seven to improve to 3-1 on the year.
Three Bobcats accounted for six of Ohio's 10 hits, with Funderburg leading the way by going 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. Senior center fielder Sebastian Fabik (Lebanon, Ohio) went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and three runs scored while redshirt junior right fielder Michael Richardson (Cambridge, Md.) registered a pair of singles and scored a run.
The Bobcats will finish their season next weekend with a four-game series at Western Michigan starting on Friday (May 28).
Toledo 4, Northern Illinois 1
Boxscore
DEKALB, Ill. – The University of Toledo baseball team (23-29, 21-15 MAC) clinched its weekend series at Northern Illinois (15-35, 14-22 MAC) on Sunday, winning 4-1 to take three out of four against the Huskies.
"We got another series win today, which is just awesome," head coach Rob Reinstetle said. "Today we did it on the mound. Connor Brandon pitched well at the start and Wyatt Jefferson was superb the rest of the game. We never got the big hit to blow it open but did enough to win. I'm just really proud of the guys for going on the road and winning the series."
Brandon and Jefferson combined to allow just one run on two hits on Sunday. Brandon started the game and struck out two in 3.1 innings of work, and Jefferson pitched the final 5.2 innings. The senior did now allow a hit and struck out three to earn his third victory of the season.
Darryn Davis tallied two RBIs at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a walk. Matt Kirk was 3-for-4 at the plate, getting his second straight start in right field. Nicky Winterstein capped a strong weekend by reaching base twice and driving in a run to help the Rockets win the series.
Toledo wraps up the regular season with a four-game series against Central Michigan at Scott Park next weekend.
Miami 6, Akron 1
Boxscore
OXFORD, Ohio — The Miami University baseball team exploded for six unanswered runs, including three in the fourth inning, en route to a 6-1 win against the Akron Zips at McKie Field on Sunday afternoon. Nate Stolze was a highlight for the RedHawks on the day, hitting a two-RBI home run in the fourth to give Miami a lead it never relinquished. With the victory in the home finale, the RedHawks move to 25-26 (18-17 Mid-American Conference) on the season, while the Akron Zips fall to 14-36 (8-32 MAC).
Akron was the first team on the board, scoring a run in the top of the first to take an early 1-0 lead. However, the RedHawks responded to the Zips in the fourth inning. Brian Zapp singled through the right side and advanced to second base on the play while scoring Cole Andrews to knot the game at one. Stone continued the offensive inning for Miami, hitting a two-RBI home run that also allowed Brian Zapp to cross the plate to increase the Miami lead to 3-1.
In the sixth, Nate Stone hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Dalton Back, giving Miami a 4-1 lead. Back started the bottom of the seventh, scoring both Stone and Hippenhammer with a double to right-center. The Miami lead would stick for the remainder of the game with Miami ending with a series sweep over the Zips.
