Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Ball State
Baseball Dominates Ball State, 8-3
4/20/2007 7:47:49 PM | Baseball
Fischer moves into third place in EMU history with 230 career strikeouts
MUNCIE, Ind.
– The Eastern Michigan University baseball team tallied a season-high 18 hits to defeat Ball State, 8-2, for its sixth consecutive Mid-American Conference victory here Friday afternoon at Ball Diamond. Eastern (14-15, 10-1 MAC) got another solid performance from junior ace Jeff Fischer (4-3) who notched his fourth consecutive conference victory allowing only one earned run on five hits with nine strike outs in 7.0 innings of work. Fischer’s nine strikeouts moved him into third place all-time in EMU history with 230 career strikeouts.EMU’s hot offense was led by senor catcher Derek Lehrman who went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored. Senior Patrick Dean hit 3-for-4 with two RBI, a home run and a run scored. Junior Steve Bradshaw also went 3-for-4 with one run scored while junior Jeff Hehr went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a RBI. Junior Jeff Davis and sophomore Aaron Powell went 2-for-4 and 2-for-5 respectively with a combined two RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Kyle Rhoad also had two RBI on a pair of fielder’s choice.
Ball State (15-22, 4-9 MAC) was led by sophomore Nate fields who hit 2-for-4 with a RBI. Senior Ryan DeGeeter picked up the loss on the mound allowing five runs on 12 hits with five strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched.
Dean got EMU on the board first belting a home run over the left field fence for a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the third, Davis led off with a single and was moved over to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Josh Ivan. Hehr followed with a RBI single to score Davis and stole second base. Lehrman notched a single and Hehr scored on a fielding error by the right fielder. Bradshaw and Dean hit consecutive singles and Rhoad reached on a fielder’s choice allowing Lehrman to score giving the Eagles a 4-0 lead.
Ball State tallied its first run in the bottom of the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly to pull closer at 4-1.
EMU added another run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a RBI double by Davis to score Powell putting the Eagles up 5-1.
Eastern was not done as Lehrman, Bradshaw and Dean led off the seventh inning with three consecutive singles to load the bases. Rhoad drove in his second RBI of the game on a fielder’s choice to plate Lehrman. Powell followed with another RBI single through the right side to score Bradshaw and put EMU up 7-1.
Dean reached on another fielder’s choice in the eighth inning to score Hehr to give EMU a commanding 8-1 lead. Ball State added a run in the bottom of the frame and another in the ninth but it was not enough as EMU notched the 8-3 vicotry.
Game two of the three-game series between EMU and Ball State is Saturday, April 21 at 1 p.m.
