Bradshaw Reaches Milestone in 16-5 Loss to CMU

Box Score

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — The Eastern Michigan University baseball team will enter the Mid-American Conference tournament in Chillicothe, Ohio, as the No. 2 seed overall. The Eagles suffered a 16-5 setback today at Theunissen Stadium to Central Michigan, allowing Kent State University to win the regular-season championship by just a half a game.

Central Michigan improves to 29-25-1 (13-13 MAC) on the year while the Eagles fall to 21-32 (15-8 MAC).

Freshman Jake Stapf (Hamilton, Ohio-Stephen T. Badin) was charged with the loss. Stapf (2-4) lasted five innings, giving up 10 hits and eight runs while striking out four CMU batters. Offensively, seniors Jeff Davis (Avondale, Ariz.-Westview) and Josh Ivan (Belleville, Mich.-Belleville) led the Eagles. Davis went 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored while Ivan’s third inning two-run homer tied the game at 4-4. Fellow senior Steve Bradshaw (Lapper, Mich.-West) collected his 200th career hit with a ninth inning single. Bradshaw leads the Eagles in nearly every offensive category this season, including batting average for the third straight year.

After the Eagles went one-two-three in the top of the first, Central Michigan roughed up Stapf in the bottom of the first, scoring four runs on four hits to take the early lead. Two singles and a walk by the first three batters loaded the bases for CMU’s Sean Hoorelbeke. Hoorelbeke took advantage of the situation, knocking a double to left field, scoring Tyler Stovall and Jeff Helps. Noah Lankford’s RBI ground out scored Matt Faiman to push the lead to 3-0 before Billy Anderson’s sacrifice fly to center field drove in Hoorelbeke, rounding out the scoring for CMU in the first.

The Eagles battled back in the second and third innings, tying the score at 4-4. Back-to-back singles by Davis and Jim Gulliver (Allen Park, Mich.-Allen Park) set the stage for junior Andrew Marshall (Mason, Mich.-Mason) to drive in the first Eagle run of the game on his double to deep left field. In the third, Kyle Rhoad (Fostoria, Ohio-Elmwood) reached first after being hit by an Eric Lawrence pitch, advancing to second on a groundout by Bradshaw. Davis’ second single of the game, a shot to right field, scored Rhoad from second, cutting the deficit to 4-2. With one on and two outs, Ivan stepped up to the plate. With one swing, Ivan jacked a Lawrence offering over the left-field wall for his sixth home run of the year, tying the game at 4-4.

Central Michigan went back to work in the bottom of the third. Lankford walked and moved to second on Anderson’s single. With two on and no outs, Tyler Kipke drilled a Stapf offering off the wall in left center, knocking in Lankford to recapture the lead at 5-4. A seven-six-two relay started by senior Mike Boyd (Huntington Woods, Mich.-Berkley) reached Marshall just in time as he was able to block the plate and tag out Andrerson, keeping CMU from adding to its lead.

In the Chippewa fifth, Faiman singled and advanced to second on Stapf’s second balk of the game. A Lankford sacrifice bunt moved him to third before he scored on a pass ball, bringing the score to 6-4.

An inning later, CMU padded its lead, scoring three runs to take a 9-4 advantage. Hoorelbeke’s two-run home run to right field marked his 15th of the year and highlighted the inning for the Chippewas.

EMU added one in the seventh, and after loading the bases, Davis drew a walk, allowing Boyd to score and cutting the lead to 9-5.

Seven runs over the final two innings sealed the game for the Chippewas, as Bryce Morrow and Steve Teno were able to keep the Eagles in check and hold off a late-game rally.

The Eagles will be in action next at the MAC Tournament in Chillicothe, Ohio. EMU will meet West Division rival Western Michigan in first-round action at VA Memorial Stadium at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21.

First Round Tournament Games

No. 1 Kent State University vs. No. 8 Central Michigan University 7:30 p.m.

No. 2 Eastern Michigan University vs. No. 7 Western Michigan University 12:30 p.m.

No. 3 Bowling Green State University vs. No. 6 Ohio University 9 a.m.
No. 4 Northern Illinois University vs. No. 5 Ball State University 4 p.m.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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