Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, April 21
Toledo, Ohio
1:05 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
14-21, 0
6
at
3
Toledo
13-22, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Eastern Michigan
3
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
6
8
0
Toledo
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
1
0
3
12
0
Photo by: Brian Tietz
Baseball Evens Series at Toledo With 6-3 Win
4/21/2018 4:47:00 PM | Baseball
Senior Luke DeVenney tossed another quality start for his fourth win
TOLEDO, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team rebounded from yesterday's tough loss with a 6-3 victory over the University of Toledo Saturday afternoon, April 21, at Scott Park. EMU (14-21, 8-6 MAC) tip-toed around some danger, stranding 10 UT (13-22, 7-7 MAC) runners.
The Eagles got another solid start from senior Luke DeVenney (Des Moines, Iowa-Dowling Catholic), who earned his fourth win of the season after allowing just two runs on eight hits in six innings, while striking out five. Out of the bullpen, junior Mitchell Sparks (Willis, Texas-Carmel (Ind.) (Iowa Lakes C.C.)) went the final three innings to lock up his second save of the season, tying his career-high with four strikeouts.
The offense scattered eight hits among eight batters, led by a three-run home run from junior Kolton Schenker (Augusta, Kan.-Augusta (Labette C.C.)), his team-leading sixth of the season. Sophomore Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) also had a multi-RBI day, knocking in a pair on a single.
EMU struck first with a boom in the top of the first, as Schenker went yard for a two-out, three-run homer to right field. His team-leading sixth dinger gave Eastern the early 3-0 cushion.
After the fireworks in the first, both offenses continued to get runners on base, but both pitchers worked around the traffic, as EMU and UT each stranded six runners on base through the first five innings. For DeVenney, his first five scoreless innings included three strikeouts, upping his scoreless inning streak to 13 straight innings, and keeping it 3-0 into the sixth.
The Eagles finally capitalized on the crowded base paths in the top of the sixth, as Nick Jones drove in a pair of runs on a two-out single through the left side, extending the EMU lead to 5-0. DeVenney's scoreless streak was snapped in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out, two RBI triple, but he struck out his fifth batter of the day to end the frame and keep the lead into the final three frames.
Sparks came on in relief in the seventh, and picked up where DeVenney left off, striking out a pair in a clean seventh inning to keep it a three-run game. Toledo got another two-out RBI in the eighth to get within two with one inning to play.
In the ninth, Eastern added some insurance on a bases loaded walk from redshirt freshman Jeff Timko (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Brother Rice) to put the tally at 6-3 into the bottom half. There, Sparks worked through his third inning, getting a 6-4-3 double play to seal the three-run win, and his second save of the season.
EMU and Toledo returns to the diamond for the rubber match tomorrow, April 22, for the series finale at Scott Park. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.
The Eagles got another solid start from senior Luke DeVenney (Des Moines, Iowa-Dowling Catholic), who earned his fourth win of the season after allowing just two runs on eight hits in six innings, while striking out five. Out of the bullpen, junior Mitchell Sparks (Willis, Texas-Carmel (Ind.) (Iowa Lakes C.C.)) went the final three innings to lock up his second save of the season, tying his career-high with four strikeouts.
The offense scattered eight hits among eight batters, led by a three-run home run from junior Kolton Schenker (Augusta, Kan.-Augusta (Labette C.C.)), his team-leading sixth of the season. Sophomore Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) also had a multi-RBI day, knocking in a pair on a single.
EMU struck first with a boom in the top of the first, as Schenker went yard for a two-out, three-run homer to right field. His team-leading sixth dinger gave Eastern the early 3-0 cushion.
After the fireworks in the first, both offenses continued to get runners on base, but both pitchers worked around the traffic, as EMU and UT each stranded six runners on base through the first five innings. For DeVenney, his first five scoreless innings included three strikeouts, upping his scoreless inning streak to 13 straight innings, and keeping it 3-0 into the sixth.
The Eagles finally capitalized on the crowded base paths in the top of the sixth, as Nick Jones drove in a pair of runs on a two-out single through the left side, extending the EMU lead to 5-0. DeVenney's scoreless streak was snapped in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out, two RBI triple, but he struck out his fifth batter of the day to end the frame and keep the lead into the final three frames.
Sparks came on in relief in the seventh, and picked up where DeVenney left off, striking out a pair in a clean seventh inning to keep it a three-run game. Toledo got another two-out RBI in the eighth to get within two with one inning to play.
In the ninth, Eastern added some insurance on a bases loaded walk from redshirt freshman Jeff Timko (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Brother Rice) to put the tally at 6-3 into the bottom half. There, Sparks worked through his third inning, getting a 6-4-3 double play to seal the three-run win, and his second save of the season.
EMU and Toledo returns to the diamond for the rubber match tomorrow, April 22, for the series finale at Scott Park. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: DeVenney, Luke (4-1)
L: SHUTES, Sam (7-1)
S: Sparks, Mitchell (2)
Batting:
2B: Jones, Nate 1 ; Timko, Jeff 1
HR: Schenker, Kolton 1
RBI: Jones, Nick 2 ; Schenker, Kolton 3 ; Timko, Jeff 1
SH: Kauffman, Jared 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jones, Nate 1 ; Jones, Nick 1 ; Schuemann, Max 1 ; Schenker, Kolton 1 ; Sweigart, Joey 1 ; Easter, Shane 1
SB: Schuemann, Max 1
CS: Easter, Shane 1
HBP: Jones, Nick 1 ; Schuemann, Max 1
Batting:
3B: TIPTON, Corey 1
RBI: TIPTON, Corey 2 ; SCHWARTZENBERGER, Z. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BOLLINGER, Dalton 1 ; MONTOYA, AJ 1 ; MEYERS, Chris 1
CS: ADOLPH, Ross 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF/RHP
/ BaseballC/IF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballInside the Ride Episode 2: Katie Condon
Thursday, October 16
16th Annual EMU Baseball Golf Outing
Sunday, October 05
Oestrike Stadium Turf Replacement Time lapse
Friday, October 03
Oestrike Stadium Upgrades Reveal
Thursday, October 02