Eagles Fall in Ninth to No. 21 Michigan

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Eastern Michigan University baseball team made the short trip down the road to Fisher Stadium in Ann Arbor today, April 15, falling 5-3 to the No. 21 ranked Wolverines. The Eagles held a 3-2 lead heading into the ninth before yielding two home runs to give Michigan the hard fought win.

EMU falls to 10-23, 7-2 MAC on the year while No. 21 Michigan improves to 23-8, 11-1 Big Ten on the year.

Michigan struck early on, taking a 2-1 lead after the first two innings of play. In the bottom half of the first, Lief Mahler scored on a wild pitch by true freshman Tim Combs (Dayton, Ohio-Wayne). In the second, UM regained the lead at 2-1 when Jason Christian’s single to right center allowed Alan Oaks to cross the plate.

The Eagles fought back to tie and then take the lead after scoring in the second, third and fourth innings. In the second, true freshman Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinley) sent an Eric Katzman offering over the left-field wall for his third home run, tying the game at 1-1. Heading into the third inning down 2-1, right-fielder Aaron Powell (Clarkston, Mich.-Clarkston) put the Eagles in scoring position after roping a double down the right field line. Josh Ivan’s (Belleville, Mich.-Belleville) single to left scored Powell and knotted the game at two.

EMU took its first lead of the game in the fourth inning when freshman catcher Matt Skriving (Midland, Mich.-H.H. Dow) scored on a Katzman wild pitch. With the lead, Combs settled down, allowing just two hits over the next three and a thid innings. For the day, he tossed six and a third innings, striking out two while scattering five hits and allowing one earned run.

Sophomore Robert Wendzicki (Brook Park, Ohio-Midpark) entered the game in the ninth looking for his fifth save of the season. After getting Ryan LaMarre to fly out to center for the first out of the inning, Wendzicki (3-4) gave up a home run to Christian, tying the game at 3-3. Mahler drew a walk and represented the winning run for the Wolverines as Nate Recknagel came to the plate. Recknagel, UM’s batting average and home run leader gave the Maize and Blue their sixth consecutive win with his two-run walk-off over the right-field wall.

The Eagles and Wolverines will meet again tomorrow, April 16, at Fisher Stadium in Ann Arbor. First pitch is slated for 3:05 p.m.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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