Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, May 18
Oestrike Stadium
6 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
22-31, 14-12
4
vs
2
Northern Illinois
19-36, 8-18
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Northern Illinois
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
12
1
Eastern Michigan
0
1
2
0
1
0
0
0
X
4
5
1
Photo by: Steven King/Steve King Studios
EMU Wins Series Over NIU With Tight 4-2 Victory
5/18/2018 9:11:00 PM | Baseball
The Eagles forced NIU to leave 11 men on base
Photo Gallery
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team prevailed in another down-to-the-wire finish in a 4-2 win over Northern Illinois University Friday evening, May 18, at Oestrike Stadium. EMU (22-31, 14-12 MAC) once again danced around heavy NIU (19-36, 8-18) base traffic, using key pitching, and hitting to sneak away with another win.
The Eagles were again out-hit by a significant margin, this time 12-5, but NIU left 11 men on base. Meanwhile, EMU made the most of its five hits, as well as five walks, led by a two-hit performance from junior John Rensel Jr. (Tallmadge, Ohio-Tallmadge), including a two-run home run, his second of the season.
On the mound, freshman Dillon Schroeder (Temperace, Mich.-Bedford Senior) earned the first win of his college career after pitching two scoreless innings in relief, including a career-best tying three strikeouts. Senior Brad Allen (Manchester, Mich.-Manchester (Jackson College)) took a no decision in his final Oestrike Stadium start, as he went the first four innings without yielding a run on five hits with four strikeouts.
Also pitching in relief, freshman Scott Granzotto (Northville, Mich.-Gabriel Richard) tossed 1.2 blank innings to keep EMU ahead in the late innings. Finally, junior Caleb Hester (Coloma, Mich.-Coloma) notched his third save of the year after tossing a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
EMU opened the scoring much earlier in this game than last night, getting on the board in the second. Sophomore Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) led that inning off with a nine-pitch walk, and he advanced to second on a ground out. The next batter, freshman Jared Kauffman (Springboro, Ohio-Bishop Fenwick), lined a single up the middle to plate Jones and make it 1-0 early on.
Allen tossed his third-straight scoreless inning in the top of the third, and EMU's offense continued to heat up in the bottom half, as Rensel Jr. smacked a two-run, opposite field home run to open up a 3-0 advantage. It was his second homer of the season and fourth of his career.
After a scoreless fourth from Allen, Schroeder entered to pitch the fifth and picked up where Allen left off, tossing a scoreless frame to keep the shutout in tact. EMU capitalized on some NIU miscues in the bottom of the fifth after two runners reached on a walk, and poor fielder's choice on a ground ball to shortstop.
With two aboard, Nick Jones hit a double play ball, but the throw on the relay sailed wide of first base, allowing the runner who was on second to score. After five, EMU's lead remained steady at four.
Schroeder continued to mow down opposing batters in the sixth as he struck out two more to keep the shutout going. The shutout was broken in the seventh inning as NIU tallied a couple runs, but Granzotto came on from bullpen to get out of a runners on the corners jam to preserve a two-run lead.
The Eagles ran into a little more trouble in the top of the eighth as NIU got a pair of runners on base, but Granzotto navigated through the traffic with a pop out and his first strikeout to remain ahead by two.
EMU could not get any insurance in the bottom of the eighth, setting up the ninth inning with the 4-2 score. There, Hester entered looking for the save, and went 1-2-3 to earn his third one of the year, as well as clinch the series.
The series and regular season finale comes tomorrow, May 19, at Oestrike Stadium. The Senior Day affair is set to begin with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team prevailed in another down-to-the-wire finish in a 4-2 win over Northern Illinois University Friday evening, May 18, at Oestrike Stadium. EMU (22-31, 14-12 MAC) once again danced around heavy NIU (19-36, 8-18) base traffic, using key pitching, and hitting to sneak away with another win.
The Eagles were again out-hit by a significant margin, this time 12-5, but NIU left 11 men on base. Meanwhile, EMU made the most of its five hits, as well as five walks, led by a two-hit performance from junior John Rensel Jr. (Tallmadge, Ohio-Tallmadge), including a two-run home run, his second of the season.
On the mound, freshman Dillon Schroeder (Temperace, Mich.-Bedford Senior) earned the first win of his college career after pitching two scoreless innings in relief, including a career-best tying three strikeouts. Senior Brad Allen (Manchester, Mich.-Manchester (Jackson College)) took a no decision in his final Oestrike Stadium start, as he went the first four innings without yielding a run on five hits with four strikeouts.
Also pitching in relief, freshman Scott Granzotto (Northville, Mich.-Gabriel Richard) tossed 1.2 blank innings to keep EMU ahead in the late innings. Finally, junior Caleb Hester (Coloma, Mich.-Coloma) notched his third save of the year after tossing a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
EMU opened the scoring much earlier in this game than last night, getting on the board in the second. Sophomore Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) led that inning off with a nine-pitch walk, and he advanced to second on a ground out. The next batter, freshman Jared Kauffman (Springboro, Ohio-Bishop Fenwick), lined a single up the middle to plate Jones and make it 1-0 early on.
Allen tossed his third-straight scoreless inning in the top of the third, and EMU's offense continued to heat up in the bottom half, as Rensel Jr. smacked a two-run, opposite field home run to open up a 3-0 advantage. It was his second homer of the season and fourth of his career.
After a scoreless fourth from Allen, Schroeder entered to pitch the fifth and picked up where Allen left off, tossing a scoreless frame to keep the shutout in tact. EMU capitalized on some NIU miscues in the bottom of the fifth after two runners reached on a walk, and poor fielder's choice on a ground ball to shortstop.
With two aboard, Nick Jones hit a double play ball, but the throw on the relay sailed wide of first base, allowing the runner who was on second to score. After five, EMU's lead remained steady at four.
Schroeder continued to mow down opposing batters in the sixth as he struck out two more to keep the shutout going. The shutout was broken in the seventh inning as NIU tallied a couple runs, but Granzotto came on from bullpen to get out of a runners on the corners jam to preserve a two-run lead.
The Eagles ran into a little more trouble in the top of the eighth as NIU got a pair of runners on base, but Granzotto navigated through the traffic with a pop out and his first strikeout to remain ahead by two.
EMU could not get any insurance in the bottom of the eighth, setting up the ninth inning with the 4-2 score. There, Hester entered looking for the save, and went 1-2-3 to earn his third one of the year, as well as clinch the series.
The series and regular season finale comes tomorrow, May 19, at Oestrike Stadium. The Senior Day affair is set to begin with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Schroeder, Dillon (1-3)
L: LASIEWICZ, Michael (5-8)
S: Hester, Caleb (3)
Batting:
2B: BROSS, Hunter 1
RBI: BYNUM, Scooter 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BROSS, Hunter 1 ; BYNUM, Scooter 1
CS: SZCZASNY, Tommy 1
Batting:
HR: Rensel Jr., John 1
RBI: Rensel Jr., John 2 ; Kauffman, Jared 1
SH: Hager, Devin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Owings, Zachary 2 ; Rensel Jr., John 1 ; Jones, Nick 1
HBP: Jones, Nick 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
C/IF
/ BaseballIF
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
RHP
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