Eastern Michigan Athletics
Wednesday, February 23
Lexington, Ky.
4 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
2
at
5
Kentucky
Ben Magsig
EMU Baseball Falls, 5-2, to Kentucky
2/23/2011 6:54:21 PM | Baseball
Ben Magsig hits first homerun on the season in the loss.
Box Score
LEXINGTON, Ky. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team suffered a 5-2 setback to the host Kentucky Wildcats celebrating its home opener at Cliff Hagan Stadium, Wednesday, Feb. 23.
Kentucky southpaw Corey Littrell (1-1), making his second appearance and first start of the season, stifled the EMU lineup for six-plus innings as he earned his first win of the season. EMU starter Joe Battistelli (Allen Park, Mich.-Allen Park) falls to 0-1 in his first start of the season after lasting just 3.2 innings.
With the loss, the Eagles fall to 1-3 on the season while the Wildcats improve to 2-3 with the win.
In his season debut against the College of Charleston, Littrell had a less than stellar outing as he gave up five earned runs in just over two innings of work in a loss.
He seemed to have figured it out on Wednesday, though, as he fired six innings and a third without allowing a hit to the Green and White.
The Wildcats spotted him a few runs early on as well, getting a run in the second inning on a trio of hits, two of which went for doubles against Battistelli. They added two more in the fourth when Taylor Black doubled to center to drive in Lucas Witt. Black later scored off a single by Mike Kaczmarek, given up by Tim Combs (Dayton, Ohio-Wayne), who relieved Battistelli with two outs in the inning.
The right-hander Battistelli would last just 3.2 innings in his first start of the season, allowing three runs on five hits, while striking out one and walking three. Combs came pitched 2.1 innings in relief and allowed just two hits.
Down 3-0 in the seventh inning, Magsig stepped to the plate and took the first pitch he saw over the wall in right for a two-run homer over the wall in right field to cut the deficit to 3-2. It was his first long ball of the year and knocked Littrell out of the game.
The freshman allowed only a single to Tucker Rubino (Scottsdale, Ariz.-Horizon -Glendale C.C.) and the homerun to Magsig in the sixth, adding three strikeouts and a pair of walks to an otherwise impressive home debut.
The Wildcats got both runs back in the bottom half of the inning with a Chad Wright sacrifice fly to right field off reliever Sam Ott (Canton, Mich.-Salem) and a Luke Maile RBI double off Taylor Dimmerling (Perrysburg, Ohio-Perrysburg) to make the score 5-2 in favor of the hosts.
Rubino had an opportunity to cut the deficit in the eighth with the bases loaded and two outs, but wound up popping out to the first baseman to end the inning.
In the ninth, Kentucky right-hander Jordan Cooper came in and shut the door with a perfect frame to record the save.
The Eagles will stay on the road as they continue on a 13-day road trip. Next up for the Green and White will be a three-game series with Tennessee Tech, Fri.-Sun., Feb. 25-27. Friday's contest is set to begin at 3 p.m.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team suffered a 5-2 setback to the host Kentucky Wildcats celebrating its home opener at Cliff Hagan Stadium, Wednesday, Feb. 23.
Kentucky southpaw Corey Littrell (1-1), making his second appearance and first start of the season, stifled the EMU lineup for six-plus innings as he earned his first win of the season. EMU starter Joe Battistelli (Allen Park, Mich.-Allen Park) falls to 0-1 in his first start of the season after lasting just 3.2 innings.
With the loss, the Eagles fall to 1-3 on the season while the Wildcats improve to 2-3 with the win.
In his season debut against the College of Charleston, Littrell had a less than stellar outing as he gave up five earned runs in just over two innings of work in a loss.
He seemed to have figured it out on Wednesday, though, as he fired six innings and a third without allowing a hit to the Green and White.
The Wildcats spotted him a few runs early on as well, getting a run in the second inning on a trio of hits, two of which went for doubles against Battistelli. They added two more in the fourth when Taylor Black doubled to center to drive in Lucas Witt. Black later scored off a single by Mike Kaczmarek, given up by Tim Combs (Dayton, Ohio-Wayne), who relieved Battistelli with two outs in the inning.
The right-hander Battistelli would last just 3.2 innings in his first start of the season, allowing three runs on five hits, while striking out one and walking three. Combs came pitched 2.1 innings in relief and allowed just two hits.
Down 3-0 in the seventh inning, Magsig stepped to the plate and took the first pitch he saw over the wall in right for a two-run homer over the wall in right field to cut the deficit to 3-2. It was his first long ball of the year and knocked Littrell out of the game.
The freshman allowed only a single to Tucker Rubino (Scottsdale, Ariz.-Horizon -Glendale C.C.) and the homerun to Magsig in the sixth, adding three strikeouts and a pair of walks to an otherwise impressive home debut.
The Wildcats got both runs back in the bottom half of the inning with a Chad Wright sacrifice fly to right field off reliever Sam Ott (Canton, Mich.-Salem) and a Luke Maile RBI double off Taylor Dimmerling (Perrysburg, Ohio-Perrysburg) to make the score 5-2 in favor of the hosts.
Rubino had an opportunity to cut the deficit in the eighth with the bases loaded and two outs, but wound up popping out to the first baseman to end the inning.
In the ninth, Kentucky right-hander Jordan Cooper came in and shut the door with a perfect frame to record the save.
The Eagles will stay on the road as they continue on a 13-day road trip. Next up for the Green and White will be a three-game series with Tennessee Tech, Fri.-Sun., Feb. 25-27. Friday's contest is set to begin at 3 p.m.
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