Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
UNLV
Eagles Drop Series Finale to UNLV
2/26/2006 8:52:08 PM | Baseball
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – For the second consecutive day, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team fell at the hands of UNLV, 23-5, Sunday afternoon at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The Rebels increased their season highs in runs and hits as the Eagles continued to struggle defensively.
With the loss, the Eagles fall to 2-5 on the season while the Rebels improve to 3-8 overall.
Eastern Michigan was led offensively by the freshman tandum of Kyle Rhoad who went 2-for-4 from the plate with one RBI and a run scored. Aaron Powell tallied an run scored and an RBI while going 1-for-4 at the plate. Junior Brian Blackburn also went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. The Rebels were led by Zach Borba who hit a perfect 5-for-5 with four runs scored and an RBI. Chris Bonnell also tallied four RBI and three runs on 2-for-5 hitting from the plate.
Freshman Matt Shoemaker (0-1) picked up the loss in 4.2 innings of work while UNLV’s Braden Wagner notched his first win of the year.
EMU fell behind early in the contest as UNLV put three runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning. The Eagles responded with a run of their own as Powell scored when Isaiah Gainforth grounded into a double play to pull EMU within two, 3-1. The Rebels responded and tacked on two more runs in the second and third increasing their lead to 5-1.
The Eagles added three runs to close the gap to one run, 5-4, in the fifth as Blackburn drove in Trumaine Riley and later scored on an error along with Rhoad on a fielder’s choice. That was as close as EMU would get as UNLV broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth tallying nine runs to take a commanding 14-4 lead enroute to the 25-5 victory.
EMU is next in action at Louisville, Thursday, March 2, at 3 p.m.
