Mid-American Conference

MARIETTA, Ga. - Senior Tyler Wells (Lexington, Ky.) cracked two home runs to send five of Ohio's seven runs across the plate in Sunday's 7-6 win against the Longwood Lancers at the Lake Pointe Sports Complex in Marietta, Ga., solidifying the series sweep and improving the Bobcat's undefeated record to 6-0.
 
The Lancers claimed an early advantage, posting three runs in the first inning. Ohio responded with five runs in the bottom of the first, with an RBI single by Jake Madsen (Cincinnati, Ohio) beginning the momentum. An RBI by John Adryan followed, sending Manny De Jesus (Caguas, Puerto Rico) home. A three-run homer off the bat of Tyler Wells gave the Bobcats the lead and marked the senior's first home run of the season.
 
Longwood reclaimed the lead in the second, scoring three runs off of two RBI-singles and a wild pitch. A sacrifice fly by Tyler Wells knotted the game in the third, 6-6.
 
A solo homer by Wells, his second of the day, reclaimed the Ohio lead, 7-6, and solidified the series sweep against Longwood.
 
The Bobcat pitching staff allowed no runs following the second inning, rewarding Jake Miller (Westerville, Ohio) with the win. The junior right-hander closed out the final two innings for Ohio, in which he struck out three and did not allow a hit and struck out three.
 
Longwood reliever Mitchell Kuebbing was charged with his second loss of the season, allowing one hit, one earned run and striking out two over his 1.2 innings on the mound. 

MORAGA, Calif. (EMUEagles.com) – Behind solid pitching from senior Jake Andrews (Chandler, Ariz.-Hamilton-Mesa C.C.) the Eastern Michigan University baseball team took the series finale, defeating Saint Mary's College, 5-1, in non-conference action at Louis Guisto Field Sunday, Feb. 22.

The right-hander Andrews (1-1) turned in one of the best performances of his career, posting in his first career complete game and allowing just a run on four hits while striking out four and walking one. Andrews' performance marks the first time an EMU starter has gone the distance in a nine inning affair since 2013, when Brian Hill also cruised to 5-1 victory against Western Michigan University, April 19. In two starts this year, the Chandler, Ariz. native has gone a team-best 14.2 innings with an ERA of 0.61 and a batting average against of 222.

Meanwhile, the Eagle offense tallied 12 hits and scored three runs on SMC starter Jake Valdez (1-1) en route to the win. Junior Mitchell McGeein (Calgary, Alberta-Vauxhall) went 1-for-4 in the contest but plated two of the Eagles' five runs, while junior Jordan Peterson (Gilbert, Ariz.-Highland-Chandler-Gilbert C.C.) continued on a terror with his fourth multi-hit day that included a career-best three hits.

With its victory, the Eagles improve to 2-5 on the season while the Gaels drop to 5-3.

After each team went quietly in the first two frames, EMU cracked the scoreboard first as senior John Rubino (Scottsdale, Ariz.-Horizon) led off the inning with his first double of the season. A single by Peterson pushed him to third and he came home on a flyout to left off the stick of McGeein.

Valdez was unable to find the strike zone consistently in the fourth allowing EMU to grow the margin to 3-0. A pair of walks sandwiched around a sacrifice bunt put runners on the corners for junior Austin Wilson (Valrico, Fla.-Bloomingdale Sr.). Wilson responded to the challenge with a double to left field for his first RBI of the young season. The inning continued with a pitching change and back-to-back walks to force in another run. However, despite having the bases loaded and only one out, EMU was unable to dent the plate the remainder of the inning.

Both sides would score in the seventh as the Eagles would manufacture a run off a walk to redshirt freshman Joe Kennedy (St. John, Ind.-Mount Carmel). Kennedy stole second base and advanced to third on a groundout before freshman Brennan Williams (Commerce Township, Mich.-Walled Lake Northern) singled to make it 4-0 in favor of EMU.

Saint Mary's tallied it lone run in the bottom half of the inning on a Collin Ferguson homerun to right.

McGeein added his second RBI of the afternoon in the next inning when he singled home Rubino to make it 5-1.

The Eagles continue their west coast swing with a pair of games Tuesday, Feb. 24, and Wednesday, Feb. 25, at UC Davis. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET both days at the Dobbins Baseball Complex in Davis, Calif.

DeLAND, Fla. - Sunday's college baseball game between Central Michigan and Stetson ended in controversial fashion as Kevin Fagan hit a bloop single down the left field line in the bottom of the ninth with 2 outs to bring in the winning run and give the Hatters a 6-5 win.

The Chippewas took the lead early in the game in the second inning when Alex Borglin got on base with a single to right field and later scored on a wild pitch.

CMU scored three more in the fifth as a result of three Stetson errors. Tyler Huntey started the inning with a walk. Cody Leichman reached on an error and Huntey advanced to second. Borglin reached base when he laid down a bunt and was safe on an error. Huntey scored on the play. Daniel Jipping's sacrifice fly scored Leichman. Logan Regnier then drove in a run with a single.

Stetson responded in the fifth as well as they put up five runs off CMU starter Pat Leatherman, who went five innings and gave up five earned runs on eight hits.

"I thought (Leatherman) pitched really well," CMU coach Steve Jaksa said. "The guy had a two-run homer, that ball was up, that put us down by a run. Up until then, I thought Pat threw very well, and then he just got a little bit tired. His changeup was better too."

The Chippewas tied it 5-5 in the seventh inning when Jipping doubled, took third on a Logan Regnier bunt, and scored on Zach McKinstry's single.

Jason Gamble pitched in relief for 3 2/3 innings and took the loss. Gamble (0-1) was taken out of the game in the bottom of the ninth with two outs after he allowed a double down the left field line to Colton Lightner.

"He pitched really well," Jaksa said. "I was very pleased with how he threw. His longest stint maybe ever. He did a nice job with that, and what he did to keep us in there."

Braxton Markle replaced Gamble with two outs in the ninth and a runner on second. Markle issued an intentional walk to set up a potential forceout, then Fagan's blooper down the left field line fell in, allowing Lightner to score the winning run.

"The ball was foul by about a foot, but the (umpire) called it fair," Jaksa said.

The Chippewas (5-3) go to San Marcos, Texas, next weekend for a four-game series with Texas State.

Ball State’s baseball team exploded for four runs in the sixth inning to win its fourth straight game with an 8-3 win over Elon in Aiken, S.C.

The win improved the Cardinals’ record to 4-2 on the season and gave Ball State four wins – two over High Point and two over Elon – in a four-game set on the weekend.

"Our boys played solid baseball all weekend in sweeping two quality opponents," Ball State head coach Rich Maloney said.  "When you pitch, hit and field well, you put yourself in a position to win and we did that this weekend.  It was great to see so many guys contribute.  This weekend's success was truly a team effort."

In the fourth, a pair of singles from Sean Kennedy and Scott Tyler started the rally, while Matt Eppers’ plated two with a double down the right field line to score two and highlight the inning.  Ryan Spaulding, who had tripled earlier in the game, grounded out to short to score Alex Maloney, who recorded a bases loaded walk and Ball State led 8-3 after six innings.

The Cardinals started the scoring with one run in the first and two in the second, but Elon battled back with two runs of its own in the first two innings.  Ball State’s first run of the game came after Spaulding’s triple and he scored on an Elbert Devarie ground out.  In the second inning, Kennedy manufactured a run with a walk, advancing to second on a passed ball and scoring on a throwing error by Elon.

Matt Haro started the game on the mound for the Cardinals and pitched 2.2 innings, allowing only one earned run and striking out one.  Brendan Burns came on in relief for the Cardinals and lasted 5.1 innings, allowing only one hit and one earned run, while striking out five to earn the victory and improve to 1-0 on the season.  B.J. Butler pitched the ninth and allowed only one hit, while striking out one to finish off the Phoenix.

Caleb Stayton led the Cardinals offensively with a 3-for-4 performance and two runs scored.  Devarie managed two hits in five at-bats with one run-batted-in.  Eppers was 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored.

Ball State will travel to the Chanticleer Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Friday through Sunday.  The Cardinals will face Illinois Friday at 2 p.m., and battle Illinois and West Virginia Saturday.  Ball State will complete the tournament with a Sunday 1 p.m. game against the host Coastal Carolina.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – With the Zips down 4-2 in the final inning, sophomore infielder Dom Iero clubbed a two-run sacrifice fly to tie the game before a single off the bat of sophomore catcher Brian Lees plated the go-ahead run to lift the University of Akron baseball team to a 5-4 victory over Charlotte on Sunday at Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium.

The victory moves the Zips to 4-2 as they have won both of their first two series of the season.

"We were glad to take two of three on the road, especially with a comeback win today," said head coach Rick Rembielak. "We didn't let them get too far ahead of us which gave us a better opportunity late."

Following seven-straight scoreless innings from the Zips, Akron loaded the bases for the third time on the afternoon to get the rally started in the top of the ninth.

Junior designated hitter Daulton Mosbarger drew a walk and advanced to third on a Dan Lawrence single. Senior outfielder Joey Havrilak reached base on a hit-by-pitch before Iero stepped to the plate with one out to initiate the come-from-behind win and set Lees up for the game-winning single.

"The ball that Iero hit was the hardest and deepest all weekend, which enabled Lawrence to score all the way from second base after the catch," Rembielak added.

Mosbarger then moved over to the mound to pitch the bottom of the ninth. He set down the 49ers in order to seal the Zips' victory and earn his second-straight save in just three appearances on the mound.

With two RBI today, Iero collected four of the Zips' six total RBI throughout the three-game series as he leads the team with 10 this season.

The teams got out to a scoring start with Akron claiming a 2-0 lead after the top of the first. Mosbarger scored his first of two runs on the afternoon, coming on a balk. Senior Kris Simonton then sent an RBI single to left for the two-run lead.

However, the 49ers (1-2) would respond in their half of the opening frame by taking advantage of an early Akron error and plating three quick runs against senior starter Jon Pusateri to jump ahead, 3-2.

While Akron remained scoreless until the ninth inning, Charlotte plated a run in the fourth on an Eddie Hull RBI single to make it 4-2.

Pusateri ended his outing after six innings pitched. He gave up six hits and four runs, three earned, while walking two and striking out three.

Sophomore reliever Josh Davis (1-0) got the win after pitching a scoreless eighth inning and recording two strikeouts. Freshman Josh Lapiana also contributed a scoreless inning of work to help the Zips hold off the 49ers for the rally opportunity.

The Zips return to action when they take on UNC Greensboro in a three-game series set to begin on Friday, Feb. 27 at 4 p.m.