Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Central Michigan
Baseball Hammers Central Michigan
5/5/2006 7:39:55 PM | Baseball
Eagles move into first-place tie in MAC West Division
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Sophomore pitcher Jeff Fischer turned in one of his best performances of the year as the Eastern Michigan University baseball team took out in-state rival Central Michigan, 10-3, here at Theunissen Stadium. Fisher picked up his eighth win of the season holding CMU, the top hitting team in the Mid-American Conference, to only four hits in 8.2 innings of work with seven strikeouts, two walks and two earned runs.
With the win, EMU (26-18, 13-6-MAC) moves into a first-place tie with CMU (28-18, 13-6 MAC) in the MAC West Division standings and snapped the Chippewa’s 10-game home winning streak.
The Eagles’ offense also tied a season-high 17 hits and were led offensively by sophomores Josh Ivan and Jeff Hehr and junior Derek Lehrman. Ivan increased his hitting streak to 17 games going 2-for-6 at the plate with two runs scored and two RBI. Hehr hit his fourth home run of the season also going 2-for-6 with one run scored and three RBI. Lehrman chipped in going 3-for-5 at the plate.
CMU was led by Eric Cannon who went 2-for-4 with two RBI at the plate while Ty Dunham picked up his fourth loss of the year.
EMU got on the board first as Aaron Powell singled to left field scoring Steve Bradshaw for an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning.
The score remained 1-0 until the EMU offense came alive in the top of the seventh inning as Ivan singled to score Trumaine Riley. Hehr then smacked a home run to deep center field scoring Ivan to give the Eagles a 4-0 advantage.
The Eagles then broke the game open in the eighth with four runs on four hits and three CMU errors. A bases-loaded single by Ivan plated Matt Moffett. Isaiah Gainforth then singled to center field to score Riley and another single by Hehr brought in Jeff Davis. Bradshaw grounded out to the shortstop to score Ivan and put EMU up, 8-0.
EMU poured it on in the ninth as Moffett hit his team-leading sixth home run and a Gainforth single scored Riley to gave the Eagles a 10-0 lead. Central scored three runs in the bottom of the frame but it was not enough as EMU closed out the game for the victory.
EMU and Central Michigan will play the second of the three-game series, Saturday, May 6, at 1 p.m
