Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Siena Heights
Eagles Trounce Saints
5/2/2007 9:14:31 PM | Baseball
Eagles hit season-high seven home runs in winning effort
YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team continued its winning streak with a commanding 20-0 victory over visiting Siena Heights University here at Oestrike Stadium. The Eagles have now won five straight heading into this weekend’s showdown with Central Michigan. The game marked the first time EMU had played the Saints since a 13-1 Eagle victory, March 20, 2002.
The Eastern Michigan (22-17) offense had a field day against Saints’ pitching as seven different Eagles recorded RBI. Michael Boyd led the way going 5-for-5 at the plate with two home runs and six RBI. Andrew Marshall also had a breakout day at the plate going 3-for-5 with four RBI. Marshall also hit his first two home runs of his career. Aaron Crooks and Kyle Rhode also had multiple RBI games for the Eagles.
As hot as the Eagles bats were, the EMU pitching staff was equally dominant. Eagles pitchers held Siena Heights (12-34) to two hits while striking out five. Kevin Wammes (1-1) picked up his first win of the season throwing five innings of one hit ball. John Ballarin and Jeff Robinson combined for four strong innings of relief to preserve the shutout.
Siena Heights starter Michael Schiller (2-6) was roughed up allowing seven runs over 2.1 innings in the losing effort. Nathan Pepper and Chris Hudson were the only Saints batters to record a hit off of EMU pitching.
The Eagles got off to a hot start in the bottom of the first. Jim Gulliver drew a one out walk and advanced to third on a Robert Wendzicki single. A wild pitch allowed Gulliver to score and gave EMU a quick 1-0 lead. After two more walks, Marshall connected on his first home run of the year to put the Eagles up 4-0 after one.
EMU was able to add more insurance runs in the bottom of the second. Boyd got the inning started with a triple. Two batters later, a sacrifice bunt by Crooks allowed Boyd to score to give the Eagles a 5-0 lead.
The EMU offense refused to let up in third. A Rhoad RBI single put the Eagles up 6-0. Later that inning, Marshall crushed his second home run of the game and gave EMU an 8-0 lead after three innings.
The EMU offensive explosion continued in the fourth as the Eagles tallied six runs with two outs. Wendzicki and Todd Graves hit back-to-back home runs to expand the lead to double digits, 10-0. A RBI single to left field by Kenneth Battison put EMU up 11-0. The inning was capped off by a Boyd three-run shot to give the Eagles a 14-0 lead.
Boyd hit his second home run of the game in the bottom of the sixth to give the Eagles a 17-0 lead. A two-run home run by Rhode in the bottom of the seventh expanded the lead to 19-0.
A sacrifice fly by Crooks in the bottom of the eighth closed out the scoring for a 20-0 advantage.
EMU continues its home stand at Oestrike Stadium Friday, May 4, for a key Mid-American Conference West Division showdown against intra-state rival Central Michigan. First Pitch is set for 6 p.m.
