Eagles Late Rally Falls Short in 15-12 Loss to Buckeyes

Click Here for Live Stats against Ball State

Box score

COLUMBUS, Ohio — After falling behind 10-0 after two innings, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team’s comeback attempt Wednesday evening, April 30, fell just short at Ohio State, 15-12. The two teams combined for 27 runs on 32 hits. EMU tied the game at seven all off a Steve Bradshaw (Lapeer, Mich.-West) two-run bomb in the seventh, but could not keep the Buckeyes in check at the plate. Bradshaw finished the day 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored.

With the loss, the Eagles head into their weekend series with Ball State University with a 16-27, 11-4 MAC record while Ohio State improves to 23-18, 10-9 Big Ten.

Bobby Henderson was charged with the loss tonight after giving up two runs on two hits in three innings of work. Henderson (1-5) was one of five EMU pitchers to see action tonight against the Buckeyes. Along with Bradshaw, junior designated hitter Aaron Powell (Clarkston, Mich.-Clarkston) enjoyed a multi-hit day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two walks and an RBI.

The Buckeyes struck early, scoring one in the bottom half of the first frame. After getting the first two Buckeye batters to ground out to third in the first inning, Combs walked Ryan Dew. Dew stole second and scored the first run of the game on a Justin Miller single up the middle.

Ohio State continued to make trouble for Combs in the second, batting around the order nine runs on 10 hits. Back-to-back singles by Dan Burkhart and Cory Kovanda helped OSU increase its lead to 3-0. Dew and Miller each ripped doubles scoring two runs, bringing the tally to 7-0. After giving up an RBI single to Hurly and walking Brian DeLucia, freshman Jordan Goldschmidt (Ft. Loramie, Ohio-Ft. Loramie) was brought in. The Buckeyes continued to churn out the hits, with back-to-back RBI singles registered by Burkhart and Engle. Goldschmidt was able to escape further damage by getting Kennedy to pop out to Bradshaw to end the second.

After striking out the first six of seven Eagle batters faced, starting pitcher Josh Edgin found himself in trouble early on in the third as EMU loaded the bases with a walk and two singles. With the bases loaded, Powell ripped an Edgin pitch through the right side, scoring Mike Boyd (Huntington Woods, Mich.-Berkley). Bradshaw produced the second run of the inning with an RBI single off the foot of Edgin before Josh Ivan’s (Belleville, Mich.-Belleville) sacrifice fly to right field scored Kyle Rhoad (Fostoria, Ohio-Elmwood). With the bases still loaded, senior Jeff Davis (Avondale, Ariz.-Westview) doubled off the wall in right center, scoring Powell and cutting the deficit to 10-4 with just one out in the third. The Eagles threatened with runners on second and third, but Edgin was able to pitch his way out of the jam, striking out Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinley) and Boyd to end the inning.

In the Buckeye third, Goldschmidt got the first two batters out before Miller singled up the middle. With a man on, Ryan Meade sent a towering shot over the right-field wall, pushing the OSU lead to 12-4. A Burkhart groundout to Ivan ended the third for Ohio State.

EMU continued to chip away at the OSU lead in the fifth. A Rory Meister balk allowed Rhoad to score from third before Powell scored off a Bradshaw double to left center for the second run of the inning. With two on and two out, Leonard jumped on a Meister fastball, sending a towering shot over the left-field wall for his fifth home run of the season, bringing the Eagles to within three at 12-9. Jim Gulliver (Allen Park, Mich.-Allen Park) walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch before Meister struck out Boyd to end the inning.

A day after picking up his first career win, Bobby Henderson (Milford, Mich.-Detroit Catholic) relieved Goldschmidt in the bottom of the fourth, going three-up, three-down, including a strikeout of Kennedy.

After holding OSU hitless in the fourth, the Eagles continued to cut into the Buckeye lead, scoring one in the top of the fifth frame. Ivan’s single up the middle scored Powell from second, bringing the score to 12-10 in favor of the Scarlett and Grey.

Henderson got Dew to fly out to start the OSU fifth, but ran into trouble after giving up back-to-back singles to Miller and Meade and walking Chris Griffin to load the bases. DeLucia then shot a line drive toward second with Ivan reaching to pull it and make the throw to Gulliver at second base for the inning ending double play.

A scoreless sixth inning from both teams left the Eagles still down two entering the top half of the seventh. A two-out single by Powell brought Bradshaw, the Eagles’ leading hitter, to the plate. Bradshaw sent an Eric Best pitch over the left-center wall, tying the game at 12-12. The homerun was Bradshaw’s third of the season, with all three coming within the last 4 games.

In the Ohio State half of the seventh, Henderson dug himself a hole, walking Kovanda and Arp before making way for senior Dan Puls (Alpena, Mich.-Alpena). Miller’s sacrifice bunt allowed Kovanda to advance to third and Arp to second before Meade was intentionally walked, bringing up center fielder Chris Griffin. Griffin made the Eagles pay, singling through the left side to drive in Kovanda and give the Buckeyes the lead back at 13-12. The Buckeyes added to their lead by way of a Cory Rupert sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Arp before Burkhart grounded out to Ivan to end the inning.

OSU added one more in the bottom of the eighth when Arp singled up the middle, scoring Engle to make it 15-12. The Eagles again looked to the pen, bringing in redshirt freshman Robert Hamly (Caledonia, Mich.-Caledonia) with one on and two out. Hamly was able to work his way out of the inning, striking out Meade.

The Eagles could not manage any production in the ninth, as Alex Wimmers was able to strike out two of four batters faced for the save.

EMU picks up action this weekend, May 2-4, as they travel to Muncie, Ind. for a three game series with Ball State University. First pitch on Friday is slated for 3 p.m.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

Related News

Next Event

Related Videos