KENT, Ohio – Marquis Jackson hit a two-run homer and Central Michigan pitching stood up to the challenge on Thursday as the Chippewas remained alive in the Mid-American Conference Tournament with a 5-2 victory over Western Michigan in an elimination game at Kent State's Schoonover Stadium.
 
The Chippewas (34-22) will play either Ball State or Kent State on Friday (12:30 p.m.) in an elimination game. The Golden Flashes and Cardinals were to meet on Thursday night in a winner's bracket game.
 
The Chippewas opened the tournament with a 7-6 loss to Ball State on Wednesday night. They rebounded on Thursday afternoon against the Broncos, as Jackson hit a two-run homer to highlight a three-run third that put the Chippewas in front, 3-0.
 
Keegan Batka allowed just one run over six innings and Garrett Navarra was effective in three innings of relief as the Chippewas held off the Broncos, who finished with an 8-6 edge in hits and stranded 11 baserunners.
 
Batka (8-3) struck out seven, walked four and surrendered six hits. He left after allowing a leadoff double in the sixth. Navarra relieved and worked through the inning – the Broncos pushed across a pair of runs in the frame – to keep the Chippewas ahead, 3-2. 
 
Navarra got a popup to end the inning, stranding runners at first and second.
 
Navarra, normally the Chippewas' No. 3 starter, allowed just two baserunners, a hit batter and a walk, over the final two innings. He induced a game-ending 5-4-3 double play for his first save of the season and the second of his career.
 
Jackson's homer, which cleared the wall at the 355-foot mark in right center, was his eighth of the season.
 
After Western cut CMU's lead to 3-2 in the seventh, the Chippewas answered with two runs in their half of the frame. Jacob Donahue doubled with two out, then went to third on a Christian Mitchelle single and scored on an error by the leftfielder. 
 
Navarra then singled in Mitchelle to make it 5-2.
 
Now CMU finds itself as one of three MAC teams still standing. The Chippewas are accustomed to playing, and winning, big games in late May and into June.
 
Last season, they came through the elimination bracket to win the MAC Tournament at Ball State.