Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, May 19
Oestrike Stadium
12:35 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
22-32, 0
3
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6
Northern Illinois
20-36, 0
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Northern Illinois
2
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6
12
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Eastern Michigan
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10
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Photo by: Steven King/Steve King Studios
Senior Day Spoiled in Regular Season Finale
5/19/2018 4:19:00 PM | Baseball
Despite the loss, EMU qualified for the 2018 MAC Tournament
Photo Gallery
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team dropped a tough 6-3 decision in 11 innings to Northern Illinois University Saturday afternoon, May 19, at Oestrike Stadium to close out the regular season. Despite having Senior Day spoiled, EMU (22-32, 14-13 MAC) clinched its spot in the 2018 Mid-American Conference Tournament as the No. 6 seed.
It is the third straight season in which EMU will appear in the MAC Tournament. Eastern Michigan will take on the No. 3 seed Ball State University, who EMU won the regular season series against at Oestrike earlier this year.
EMU's offense tallied 10 hits on the day, its output best of the weekend. Junior Max Schuemann (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) had the biggest hit, a two-run double for his lone hit of the day. Redshirt freshman Jeff Timko (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Brother Rice) had a three-hit day, his first one of the season. Sophomore Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) also had a nice day, notching two hits and an RBI.
On the mound, senior Luke DeVenney (Des Moines, Iowa-Dowling Catholic) had a solid final start at home, going the first six with only three runs allowed on eight hits and three strikeouts. He ended the regular season without more than three runs allowed in any of his 14 starts. In relief, freshman Thomas House (Okeana, Ohio-Ross) had a career-high four scoreless innings in relief, only yielding one hit with three strikeouts.
NIU struck first in the first inning with a couple of runs on four hits, but the damage was limited after a double play was recorded with the bases loaded. EMU got one back immediately in the bottom of the first on an RBI ground out from Nick Jones with the bases loaded to make it a 2-1 game after one.
The scoring then went stagnant over the next three frames, as the tally remained 2-1 into the fifth inning. There, EMU jumped ahead with a two-RBI double by Schuemann off the wall in centerfield, giving EMU its first lead of the game, 3-2 into the sixth inning. The lead was short lived, however, as NIU answered right back with a run in the sixth to knot it at three-all.
NIU had a prime scoring opportunity in the top of the seventh to take a lead, loading the bases up with just one out, but EMU was able to turn the slick 5-2-3 double play to keep things deadlocked into the eighth. House went 1-2-3 in each of the eighth and ninth innings to keep the tally steady at three into the last of the ninth.
In the bottom of the ninth, Timko legged out an infield single with two outs, and eventually got to third on a steal and wild pitch, but he was stranded to send the game to extras. EMU used a strikeout and thrown out base runner, followed by a magical play from Schuemann to end the top of the 10th scoreless.
EMU got two runners on in the bottom half, but NIU's closer came on to pitch and got two straight outs to force the 11th. In the 11th, NIU broke the tie with a big three run inning to leap ahead, 6-3. Eastern then went quietly in the bottom half to drop the Senior Day affair.
The Green and White will return to action next Wednesday, May 23, for the first round of the MAC Tournament. First pitch against the Ball State Cardinals is set for 12:30 p.m.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team dropped a tough 6-3 decision in 11 innings to Northern Illinois University Saturday afternoon, May 19, at Oestrike Stadium to close out the regular season. Despite having Senior Day spoiled, EMU (22-32, 14-13 MAC) clinched its spot in the 2018 Mid-American Conference Tournament as the No. 6 seed.
It is the third straight season in which EMU will appear in the MAC Tournament. Eastern Michigan will take on the No. 3 seed Ball State University, who EMU won the regular season series against at Oestrike earlier this year.
EMU's offense tallied 10 hits on the day, its output best of the weekend. Junior Max Schuemann (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) had the biggest hit, a two-run double for his lone hit of the day. Redshirt freshman Jeff Timko (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Brother Rice) had a three-hit day, his first one of the season. Sophomore Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) also had a nice day, notching two hits and an RBI.
On the mound, senior Luke DeVenney (Des Moines, Iowa-Dowling Catholic) had a solid final start at home, going the first six with only three runs allowed on eight hits and three strikeouts. He ended the regular season without more than three runs allowed in any of his 14 starts. In relief, freshman Thomas House (Okeana, Ohio-Ross) had a career-high four scoreless innings in relief, only yielding one hit with three strikeouts.
NIU struck first in the first inning with a couple of runs on four hits, but the damage was limited after a double play was recorded with the bases loaded. EMU got one back immediately in the bottom of the first on an RBI ground out from Nick Jones with the bases loaded to make it a 2-1 game after one.
The scoring then went stagnant over the next three frames, as the tally remained 2-1 into the fifth inning. There, EMU jumped ahead with a two-RBI double by Schuemann off the wall in centerfield, giving EMU its first lead of the game, 3-2 into the sixth inning. The lead was short lived, however, as NIU answered right back with a run in the sixth to knot it at three-all.
NIU had a prime scoring opportunity in the top of the seventh to take a lead, loading the bases up with just one out, but EMU was able to turn the slick 5-2-3 double play to keep things deadlocked into the eighth. House went 1-2-3 in each of the eighth and ninth innings to keep the tally steady at three into the last of the ninth.
In the bottom of the ninth, Timko legged out an infield single with two outs, and eventually got to third on a steal and wild pitch, but he was stranded to send the game to extras. EMU used a strikeout and thrown out base runner, followed by a magical play from Schuemann to end the top of the 10th scoreless.
EMU got two runners on in the bottom half, but NIU's closer came on to pitch and got two straight outs to force the 11th. In the 11th, NIU broke the tie with a big three run inning to leap ahead, 6-3. Eastern then went quietly in the bottom half to drop the Senior Day affair.
The Green and White will return to action next Wednesday, May 23, for the first round of the MAC Tournament. First pitch against the Ball State Cardinals is set for 12:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: FRANKENREIDER, A. (2-3)
L: Hester, Caleb (1-1)
Batting:
2B: SMITH, Kam 1
RBI: VEGA, Samuel 1 ; SZCZASNY, Tommy 1 ; JANDROWSKI, Ty 1 ; BROSS, Hunter 1
SH: WOOD, Brad 1 ; JUMONVILLE, Joe 1
Base Running:
RUNS: VEGA, Samuel 1 ; WOOD, Brad 1 ; SMITH, Kam 1 ; RODRIGUEZ, Alex 1 ; BROSS, Hunter 1 ; BYNUM, Scooter 1
SB: BYNUM, Scooter 1
CS: WOOD, Brad 1
HBP: WOOD, Brad 1
Batting:
2B: Schuemann, Max 1
RBI: Schuemann, Max 2 ; Jones, Nick 1
SH: Schenker, Kolton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jones, Nate 2 ; Timko, Jeff 1
SB: Owings, Zachary 1 ; Timko, Jeff 1
HBP: Owings, Zachary 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
6
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF/RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballC/IF
/ Baseball
IF
/ BaseballOF
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