Weber Goes the Distance in 4-0 Blanking of Ball State

MUNCIE, Ind. (EMUEagles.com)— Eastern Michigan University junior right hander Steve Weber (4-3) earned his first-career complete game in a three-hit, 4-0, shutout of Ball State University Saturday afternoon, April 21, at the Ball Diamond. Weber's nine-inning gem marked the first complete game for an EMU pitcher this season as the Eagles (18-20; 9-5 MAC) evened up the series with the Cardinals (10-26; 5-9 MAC) at a game apiece.

Ball State's offense was smothered by Weber's dominant performance, putting only five runners on base during the contest. The Eagles had just three hits themselves, but added some insurance onto a Ben Magsig homer to lead off the game with a trio of runs in the ninth inning.

Weber struck out six batters and walked two in his third quality start of the season. Saturday's showing was Weber's best since he tossed seven scoreless innings in a no-decision, March 2, against Wake Forest. He became the first EMU pitcher to notch a complete-game shutout since Joe Battistelli blanked Northern Illinois, 1-0, May 7, 2011.

Chris Marangon (1-4) took the tough-luck loss for Ball State, giving up just one hit through his first eight innings of work before the EMU offense got to him for a hit and two runs in the ninth. He finished with a line of 8.2 innings pitched, two hits, three earned runs, three walks and a strikeout.

Magisg's first-inning blast was his fourth of the season and 14th of his career. He went 1-for-3 on the afternoon with a walk. Matt Hitt went 1-for-4 and ended a 0-for-17 streak at the dish with a two-out, two-RBI double in the ninth. Tucker Rubino did not register a hit in three plate appearances, but used a sacrifice fly to plate EMU's second run of the game.

After coming up empty in his first two at bats of the afternoon, Brent Ohrman kept his hitting streak alive with a leadoff double in the ninth inning. The Adrian, Mich. native has now hit safely in 22 straight appearances. He finished 1-for-3 with a run scored.

For Ball State, Mitch Widau (1-for-3), Blake Beemer (1-for-2) and Billy Wellman (1-for-3) were the only players to record a hit. Weber struck out Brandon Estep (0-for-4) three times.

The Green and White wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as Magsig sent a 2-2 offering from Marangon over the right field wall for a quick 1-0 lead. Ohrman reached on a fielding error in the first inning, but did not score.

Pitching on both sides dominated from that point. Widau walked to lead off the fourth inning and was sacrifice bunted to second base by T.J. Weir to give BSU its first runner in scoring position of the afternoon. Weber ended up stranding two baserunners as Wellman popped up to shortstop for the final out.

Marangon allowed walks to Longo in the fourth and Magsig in the sixth, but otherwise did not allow a hit again until the ninth inning. Weber recorded perfect third, fifth, eighth and ninth innings while inducing an overwhelming amount of ground balls off Cardinals' bats.

In the ninth, Ohrman's leadoff double eventually resulted in a run when Rubino hit a sacrifice fly to left field. Later in the inning, Hitt's double split the left-field power alley and brought around Daniel Russell and Dae Bowden to make it a 4-0 game.

Ball State's bats were no match for Weber in the ninth as the North Royalton, Ohio native struck out two of the final three hitters he faced to complete EMU's second shutout of the season.

The rubber match of the series is slated for Sunday afternoon, April 22, at 1 p.m. Ryan Lavoie (3-1) will look to rebound from a rough outing in his previous start against Jacob Brewer (0-3).

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Team Stats

Ben Magsig

Brent Ohrman

Matt Hitt

Sam Ott

Eastern Michigan Athletics