Friday’s Baseball Results
Kent State 6, Ball State 5
Eastern Michigan 7, Bowling Green 6
Miami 4, Western Michigan 3 (10 inn.)
Northern Illinois 16, Toledo 2
Missouri State 12, Central Michigan 1
Central Michigan 2, Missouri State 1
Sam Houston State 20, Buffalo 5
Butler 4, Ohio 3
Stories courtesy of MAC Sports Information Departments
Kent State 6, Ball State 5
Boxscore
MUNCIE, Ind. – Kent State (13-6, 1-0) started off Mid-American Conference play with a 6-5 win over Ball State (11-11, 0-1) in a Friday showdown of the two division favorites.
The Cardinals were able to get off to a 3-0 start after the 1st inning. They singled and had a hit batter before a three-run homer put them ahead. However, Eli Kraus then settled in and finished with a strong start. After the 1st inning the lefty hurler did not allow a base runner until there were two outs in the 5th. In the 6th, he had some great defensive help as a fly ball to left was caught by Luke Burch who then made a fantastic throw to third base to snag the runner trying to tag up and advance for an unorthodox double play. Kraus would finish the day with the win in 7.0 innings with three runs, six hits, no walks and seven strikeouts.
Kent State was able to get on the board in the 2nd, starting with an unusual string of events. Josh Hollander led off the inning with a single. The left fielder threw the ball in way wide of the infielders that gave Hollander the opportunity to slide into second. He then started the run to third when no one was covering the bag and an errant throw to the fence allowed him to scamper home. The Flashes added another in the inning when John Matthews singled, advanced on a passed ball and ground out, and then came home on an error.
Down 3-2, the Golden Flashes took the lead with a two-run 4th. Tim DalPorto tied the game on a solo shot down the left field line. Dom Iero singled later on and scored on a double by Reilly Hawkins.
Some insurance runs were added in the 8th and 9th when Dylan Rosa hit a solo homerun. Then in the final inning, Iero walked, Hollander singled and Matthews walked to load the bases. Burch picked up an RBI with a base hit.
The Cardinals would add two more runs to their total in the 9th, but Zach Spangler would hang on and earn his fifth save of the season. Patrick Dayton filled in the other 1.1 innings of the night with one hit, one run, one walk and two strikeouts.
Burch had a 2-for-5 day while the bottom of the lineup (Hollander, Hawkins and Matthews) all also had two hits each.
The second game of the series is set for Saturday at 1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan 7, Bowling Green 6
Boxscore
YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team opened the Mid-American Conference season with a thrilling 7-6 walk-off victory over Bowling Green State University in the home opener, Friday, March 24 at Oestrike Stadium. The Eagles came back from four runs down in the late innings, and won it on a walk-off single from freshman Nick Jones (Lakeview, Mich.-Battle Creek).
The EMU (5-15, 1-0 MAC) offense sprung for 12 hits in the contest, led by three-hit outing from freshman Zachary Owings (Saline, Mich.-Saline), including a double and RBI. The walk-off hero, Jones, finished the day with two hits and a career-high three RBI's, while fellow freshman Devin Hager (Commerce Township, Mich.-Walled Lake Northern) upped his team-best average to .347 with two hits, as well as two RBI's.
Junior Justin McMurtrey (Redding, Calif.-Shasta (Butte C.C.)) earned his first win at EMU after locking down the BGSU (4-14, 0-1 MAC) bats in the final three innings, not giving up a run on three hits and a career-best six K's.
The Falcons struck first in the first inning after a wild pitch, but starting pitcher senior Sam Delaplane (San Jose, Calif.-Leigh) escaped a bases loaded jam after a 5-3 double play turned by Hager.
The Eagles were quick to respond in the second, loading the bases with a single, error, and walk. The fourth batter, Hager, showed patience at the plate and drew the RBI walk to tie it up. The tie was short lived though, as Bowling Green retook the lead on a solo homer to straightaway center in the third.
EMU had another response in the bottom of the third with clutch two-out hitting. After a one-out walk to redshirt senior Mike Mioduszewski (Dexter, Mich.-Dexter), Owings blooped a hit to short left field that dropped in, scoring Mioduszewski from first. The RBI-double tied the game for the second time going into the fourth.
Following a clean fourth, the Falcons gained the lead back once again in the fifth on an RBI single, making the score 3-2 midway through. Another scoreless frame in the sixth kept it tight into the late innings.
Bowling Green gained some momentum and padded its lead in the seventh with three runs on four hits, giving them their largest lead going into the stretch.
The bottom of the seventh proved fruitful for EMU though, all beginning with a leadoff walk to senior John Montgomery (Anaheim Hills, Calif.-JSerra). After a single, and then a strikeout, redshirt senior Marquise Gill (Paw Paw, Mich.-Paw Paw) stepped in as a pinch hitter and singled in a run to get things started. Following another K, there were two outs for Jones.
On a fly ball to center, the wind caused a misplay from the centerfielder and the ball dropped in to score both runners and pull EMU within one. The Eagles were not done yet though, as Hager knotted things up once again with a double to left, and the comeback was complete. Going into the final two innings, the score stood 6-6.
McMurtrey made sure the game remained tied into the ninth with clean innings, including striking out the side in the top of the ninth, to set up the walk-off heroics.
The bases were loaded with no outs in the ninth following two walks and a single, brining Jones to the dish. The rookie wasted no time, blasting a hit over the centerfielder's head on the first pitch, to complete the phenomenal comeback, and give Eastern a crucial 6-5 win.
EMU and BGSU will meet again tomorrow afternoon for game two of the three-game series. First pitch from Oestrike Stadium is set for 3 p.m.
TOLEDO, Ohio – The NIU baseball team (5-16, 1-0 MAC) won their Mid-American Conference opener 16-2 over Toledo on Friday. All nine Huskies in the batting order scored a run with all but two batters registering at least two hits.
“It was great getting out of the gate and starting MAC play on a high note,” Head Coach Mike Kunigonis said. “We’ll feel good going into tomorrow, put this game behind us now and get ready for game two.”
NIU had two five-run innings powered by the long ball in each the fourth and ninth innings. Every inning the Huskies put runs on the board, they scored multiple times, score two runs in three other innings than the five-run outbursts.
In the fourth, Tommy Szczasny led off with a towering solo shot to right field to give NIU a 3-1 lead at the time then mixed in three singles and two walks to score the other four. In the ninth, Jesus Tovar III hit his first home run of the season for a two-run shot to left, followed by a walk, a single and an RBI double by Tommy Hook.
“It’s nice to see the type of offensive output we got today,” Kunigonis said. “We had quality at bat after quality at bat and we need to continue doing that for the rest of the weekend.”
It was not all offense for the Huskies as starter Joe Hawks earned his second-straight win to move his record to 2-2 on the season. Hawks went seven quality innings, giving up two runs on nine hits while striking out five batters on the night.
“Hawks was awesome today, he came out of the gate ready to go and gave us what we needed,” Kunigonis said. “He gave us an opportunity to win if the bats didn’t do what they did, he did a great job.”
The series will continue tomorrow at 2:05 central time with William Anderson slated to get the start for NIU and Ross Achter projected to pitch for Toledo. HuskieBall fans can follow the team on Instagram @niu_baseball and on Twitter @NIU_Baseball.
Missouri State 12, Central Michigan 1 -- Boxscore
Central Michigan 2, Missouri State 1 – Boxscore
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Colton Bradley dove across the plate on Robert Greenman’s suicide squeeze bunt in the bottom of the ninth inning on Friday as the Central Michigan baseball team took a dramatic 2-1 victory from Missouri State on opening day at Theunissen Stadium.
The Chippewas (9-13) bounced back from a 12-1 loss in the opener of the doubleheader. The teams are scheduled to play the series finale on Sunday (1:05 p.m.) at Theunissen.
“We’ve lost quite a few heartbreakers, we’ve lost six one-run games, a couple in extra innings and we think we’re getting over that hurdle,” CMU coach Steve Jaksa said. “To come back and get that one, at home, it’s a good character win, it’s a good team win, it’s a good Chippewa win.
“I’m just really, really proud of the effort. You’ve got to play with that kind of intensity and that kind of want and will every game.”
CMU freshman left-hander Tyler Hankins went 8 1/3 solid innings in his first Theunissen Stadium appearance. He left with one out in the ninth after surrendering a triple to Jeremy Eierman.
Bradley, a junior right-hander, relieved Hankins and induced a groundball to first baseman Evan Kratt, who fired home to cut down Eirman trying to score from third. Bradley then got the final out, with runners at first and second, on a groundball.
Pinch hitter David Cole singled up the middle on a no-ball, two-strike pitch with one out in the bottom of the ninth, and moved to second and then third on wild pitches.
“David Cole showed a little moxie there,” Jaksa said. “He got a heck of a hit and read two balls in the dirt.”
Bradley pinch ran for Cole when it appeared Cole was injured diving into third base.
On the next pitch, Greenman laid down the suicide squeeze which was fielded by pitcher Jake Fromson. Fromson flipped the ball too high to the catcher, and Bradley dove safely across the plate, touching off a Chippewa celebration. Bradley (3-0) not only scored the winning run, but he also picked up the victory.
“The ball was up high enough and Robert did his job and Colton got a great jump, back to his position-playing days,” Jaksa said. “We played hard, we played with intensity, we played to win. That was a hell of an effort we made out there, and we never stopped competing.”
The finish overshadowed a classic pitcher’s duel between Hankins and Missouri State starter Dylan Coleman. Coleman allowed one run on four hits, struck out seven, and walked four over 6 1/3 innings.
Fromson (2-2) took the loss, allowing a run on three hits with one strikeout in two innings of work.
Hankins allowed one run on nine hits, struck out eight and walked only one.
“That was a solid, solid performance against a team that’s a really good ball club,” Jaksa said of Hankins, who has allowed five earned runs in his last 24 2/3 innings.
“As the game started moving on I did feel more confident in my ability, and I kept locating my pitches and hitting spots and my teammates were making plays behind me,” Hankins said. “That obviously helped me out a lot today today.”
The Chippewas seized a 1-0 lead in the fifth when Kratt singled, took second on a bunt by Nick Stokowski, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a Zach Heeke single.
Missouri State (15-7) tied it in the sixth when Jake Burger doubled and scored on an Eirman single.
The Chippewas collected seven hits, including two by Heeke and a triple by Dazon Cole.
Missouri State pounded out 18 hits off four Chippewa pitchers in the opener.
Dazon Cole (1-4) started for CMU and took the loss. He allowed five runs on six hits, walked four and struck out three. Cameron Brown, Braxton Markle and Jack Collins pitched in relief for CMU, which committed three errors.
Just six of Missouri State’s 12 runs were earned.
Jordan Knutson (4-1) allowed five hits, struck out three, and walked three over seven innings for the victory.
Burger, Aaron Meyer and Eierman had three hits apiece to lead the Bears.
Daniel Jipping had two hits to lead CMU’s six-hit attack.
Sam Houston State 20, Buffalo 5
Boxscore
HUNTSVILLE, TX – The University at Buffalo baseball team dropped the second game of a three-game series to the Sam Houston State Bearkats on Friday afternoon by the score of 20-5. With the loss, the Bulls fall to 5-14 on the season while Sam Houston improves to 17-6 overall.
The Bearkats got on the board in the first inning as Clayton Harp connected on a double to right center before coming around to score on Andrew Fregia's RBI double into the gap in right center field, making the score 1-0 in favor of the home team through one inning.
After a scoreless second inning, the Bulls were able to get on the board in the top of the third inning as they plated a pair of runs. Phillip Tomasulo led off the inning with a single to center before stealing second base while Brian Dudek earned a walk to give UB two runners on. Ben Haefner then dug in and delivered a triple to right center field to plate two Buffalo runners and give the Bulls the 2-1 lead.
Sam Houston State wasted no time regaining the lead in the bottom half of the third inning as they scored three runs to take the 4-2 lead over the visiting Bulls. Their lead was then extended to 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning as Lance Miles doubled into right center field to plate Riley McKnight.
Buffalo responded in the top of the fifth with a run of their own to make it 5-3 in favor of the home team. Alex Thrower led off the inning with a triple to deep right center field before coming in to score on Dudek's groundout to short, his 13th RBI of the season.
The Bearkats scored a run for the third straight inning in the bottom of the fifth as Blake Chisolm doubled to deep center and then came around to score on Hunter Hearn's single to center field. The home team then added a sacrifice fly and a standup triple to make the score 8-3 in favor of the Bearkats.
The home team put the game out of reach in the bottom of the sixth inning as they plated five runs to take the dominant 13-3 lead.
Tomasulo opened up the top of the seventh inning with a double down the left field line and then came around to score on a Dudek RBI single to center field. Vinny Mallaro then was able to plate Dudek with a RBI double to deep right field to cut the Bulls deficit to eight, 13-5.
The Bearkats wouldn't let UB get any closer as they added four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and three runs in the bottom of the eighth to take the dominant 20-5 victory.
Dudek finished off his game going 1-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored while reaching base safely for the 17th straight game. Haefner went 1-for-5 with two RBI as he extended his career-long reaching base safely streak to 19 straight games. Mallaro notched a multi-hit game, 2-for-4, while collecting one RBI with a double. Tomasulo had a strong day at the dish going 2-for-3 with two runs scored in the loss.
Sam Houston was led offensively by Hunter Hearn who finished off his huge day going 4-for-5 with six RBI and three runs scored while Taylor Beene went 1-for-2 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored in the win.
The two teams will conclude their three-game series on Saturday at 4:00 pm as the Bulls will send Shawn Dubin to the mound.
Butler 4, Ohio 3
Boxscore
ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio baseball team (11-9) pushed across a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to force extra innings but ultimately fell to visiting Butler (14-7), 4-3, in 11 innings on Friday (March 24) in the weekend series opener at Bob Wren Stadium.
"Our bats just weren't as competitive as we would have like to seen," said head coach Rob Smith. "We didn't find any barrel at all when we had guys in scoring position. It was all fly balls or slow rollers. With our bullpen, if we score a run late I expect to win."
The Bulldogs took an early 1-0 lead when junior first baseman Garrett Christman doubled to right field in the top of the first to score junior second baseman Zach Jarosz from second base.
Ohio loaded the bases in the bottom of the second inning as senior shortstop Tyler Finkler (Olmsted Falls, Ohio) hit a one-out double down the left field line, senior third baseman Connor Callery (Covington, Ky.) followed by beating out an infield single to second and senior second baseman Ty Black (Waynesville, Ohio) drew a walk one out later. The Bobcats were not able to come away with any runs, though, and Butler responded in the top of the third with a solo shot to center field from junior center fielder Tyler Houston.
The Bobcats got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth to cut Butler's lead to 2-1 when redshirt junior catcher Nick Bredson (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) singled to shortstop to drive home Black, who had reached base by hitting a one-out double to left center.
Butler got the run back in the ensuing frame, though, senior shortstop Michael Hartnagel smacked a one-out double to center and then scored on a base hit back up the middle by junior designated hitter Jordan Lucio.
Ohio chipped away at the lead again in the bottom of the seventh. Black led off with an infield single, advanced to third on a Butler fielding error and then scored on an RBI ground out by Bredeson.
Butler redshirt senior right-handed closer Chris Myjak entered the contest in the bottom of the ninth looking to wrap up his eighth save of the year. He had not allowed a run in eight prior appearances out of the bullpen in 2017. Black led off by beating out an infield single to second, then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore center fielder Devon Garcia (Bowling Green, Ohio). Sophomore infielder Rudy Rott (Holmen, Wis.) drew a walk one out later, bringing senior left fielder Spencer Ibarra (Fort Collins, Colo.) up to bat. Down to his last strike, Ibarra singled to left field to plate Black and send the game into extra innings.
Houston put the Bulldogs in position to retake the lead in the 10th when he led off with a double to down the left field line and stole third one out later, but senior right-handed reliever Jake Rudnicki (Toledo, Ohio) got junior right fielder Gehrig Parker to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.
Unfortunately for the Bobcats, Butler took a 4-3 lead in the 11th. Lucio led off with a double to left and was lifted for junior pinch runner Cole Malloy. Malloy advanced to third on a passed ball, then scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. The Bobcats put the tying run on first in the home half of the frame when Bredeson sent a two-out single to center, but Ohio could not cash in as Myjak tallied a strikeout to end the contest.
Black went 3-for-4 with a double, drew a walk and scored all three of Ohio's runs to lead the Bobcats at the plate. Bredson contributed two singles and a pair of RBIs.
Rudnicki suffered the loss on the mound for the Bobcats, falling to 0-2 on the season. He struck out one but allowed one unearned run on three hits and a walk. Redshirt junior southpaw starting pitcher Gerry Salisbury (Brunswick, Ohio) tossed the first six frames for Ohio, fanning four while surrendering three earned runs on four hits and a walk. Senior right-hander Tom Colletti (Wheaton, Ill.) gave the Bobcats three strong scoreless frames of relief. He struck out three while giving up two hits.
Despite blowing the save, Myjak earned his first win of the season with three innings of relief. He struck out three while permitting an earned run on three hits and a walk. Butler senior left-handed starting pitcher Jeff Schank tallied seven strikeouts over eight innings of work. He gave up two runs -- one earned -- on seven hits and two walks.
Lucio finished 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI to lead Butler's bats. Houston went 2-for-5 with a double and a home run while redshirt senior left fielder Chris Maranto collected a double and a single.
Due to impending weather on Sunday (March 26), Ohio and Butler will now close the three-game weekend series with a doubleheader on Saturday (March 25) beginning at 1 p.m. ET at The Wren.
