Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
#19 Tennessee
Baseball Upends No. 19 Tennessee
2/10/2007 5:52:46 PM | Baseball
Series finale set for Sunday, Feb. 11, at 2 p.m.
Box score.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Eastern Michigan University baseball team knocked out a season-high 12 hits and relied on stellar relief pitching to capture a 6-3 victory over the 19th ranked University of Tennessee Volunteers Saturday afternoon here at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The win snaps the Eagles’ six-game losing skid to the Vols and marks the first victory over a nationally ranked opponent for the Green and White since a 5-3 decision over No. 13 Notre Dame, April 15, 2003.
With the win, the Eagles even their record at 1-1 while the Vols fall to 1-4 overall. Junior Jeff Hehr led the Eagles offensively going 2-for-4 from the plate driving a pair of runs. Junior Michael Boyd also went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and a stolen base. Seniors Derek Lehrman and Brian Blackburn both connected on homeruns to improve the Eagles’ long-ball total to five in just two games.
On the mound for Eastern, sophomore Craig Bate picked up the victory, tossing four innings of six hit, three run baseball. The trio of Matt Shoemaker, Corey Chaffins and Dan Puls tossed the final five frames of no-hit relief to seal the decision.
For Tennessee, Danny Lima went 2-for-4 in his second start of the season. The second baseman tallied a pair of infield hits, walked and scored a run while playing solidly in the field. His steady glove work and performance from the lead-off spot drew helped key the Vols, as they battle through the non-conference schedule without All-America centerfielder Julio Borbon.
Tennessee got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning with an unearned run off a pass ball by Bate. However, EMU responded in the top the second as Blackburn led off with a solo home run to tie the game at 1-1. The Eagles were not done as Aaron Powell reached on an error, was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Davis, and reached third on a passed ball. Boyd then was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a wild pitch. Josh Ivan laid down a bunt, which scored Powell, and advanced to second on a throwing error which allowed Boyd to score giving EMU a 3-1 lead. Hehr singled to third base plating Ivan to increase Eastern’s lead to 4-1. For the inning, the Eagles got four runs on four hits and two UT errors.
The Vols closed the gap to 4-2 with a RBI single in the bottom of the frame and pulled even closer in the bottom of the fourth when UT was able to add to its total on a fielding error.
That would be it for the Tennessee offense though as the trio of Shoemaker, Chaffins and Puls tossed the final five frames of no-hit relief to seal the decision. At the plate Eastern was able to get some breathing room adding runs in the sixth and ninth to account for the final total of 6-3.
The Eagles will try to win their first series of the season Sunday, as Eastern Michigan and UT and meet in the series finale at Nelson Stadium. First pitch is schedules for 2 p.m.
