Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, May 2
Muncie, Ind.
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
6
at
7
Ball State
Cardinals Down Eagles 7-6 in Ninth
5/2/2008 7:37:38 PM | Baseball
Junior Kyle Rhoad has stellar day at plate
Box Score
MUNCIE, Ind, — In a see-saw game that featured eight solo home runs between the Eastern Michigan University and Ball State University baseball teams, the Cardinals were able to pull through, coming back from one run down in the bottom of the ninth for the 7-6 win. Junior Kyle Rhoad (Fostoria, Ohio-Elmwood) had a monster day swinging the bats, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and a double. Rhoad also collected two RBI and scored three runs on the day.
MUNCIE, Ind, — In a see-saw game that featured eight solo home runs between the Eastern Michigan University and Ball State University baseball teams, the Cardinals were able to pull through, coming back from one run down in the bottom of the ninth for the 7-6 win. Junior Kyle Rhoad (Fostoria, Ohio-Elmwood) had a monster day swinging the bats, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and a double. Rhoad also collected two RBI and scored three runs on the day.
The Green and White dropped their third straight Mid-American Conference game, falling to 16-28, 11-5 MAC. After entering the weekend in third place of the West Division, the Cardinals inched closer to EMU and now stand at 25-16, 10-6 MAC.
Robert Wendzicki (Brook Park, Ohio-Midpark) was charged with the loss, giving up two runs on two hits in a third of an inning. Junior Sean Hoffman (Midland, Mich.-Midland) got the start, throwing six and two-thirds innings, giving up five earned runs while striking out six in the no decision.
Ball State struck first, taking a 1-0 lead off a Matt Stoeklen home run over the left-field wall in the bottom of the second inning. EMU answered in the top half of the third with Rhoad smashing a Tyler Pritchard offering to deep center field. The solo shot was Rhoad’s fifth home run of the year and first since the early April series with Ohio University.
With the Cardinals going hitless in the third, EMU took their first lead of the day, adding one run in the top half of the fourth frame. True freshman Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinely) followed Rhoad’s lead, jacking his sixth home run of the season, a solo roundtripper over the left-field wall.
After Nate Fields tied the game at 2-2 with a solo home run to left field, Jim Gulliver (Allen Park, Mich.-Allen Park) continued the trend with a solo home run of his own, giving the Eagles a 3-2 lead. Gulliver’s second long ball of the year marked not only the fifth run of the game between the two teams, but the fifth solo home run to be hit.
Ball State regained the lead at 4-3, with a two-run fifth inning. T.J. Baumet started the inning off with a double to left center and scored after Dean Anna singled to right field. First baseman Justin Rogers’ RBI single up the middle scored Anna and gave the Cards the 4-3 lead after five complete innings of play.
The Eagles loaded the bases in the top half of the sixth inning after a Leonard single and walks from Mike Sacha (Farmington Hills, Mich.,-St. Clair C.C.) and Andrew Marshall (Mason, Mich.-Mason), but Pritchard was able to get Gulliver to ground out to first base, ending the threat.
In the top of the seventh the Green and White offense stepped up, scoring two runs to regain the lead at 5-4. Rhoad led off with a double to left center and Steven Bradshaw (Lapeer, Mich.-West) walked to put the Eagles in prime scoring position. After Josh Ivan (Belleville, Mich.-Belleville) reached on an error to load the bases, Jeff Davis (Avondale, Ariz.-Westview) tied the game with an RBI sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Rhoad. Matt Stoeklen bobbled a hard hit grounder by Leonard, allowing Bradshaw to score from third to take the one run advantage.
Ball State tied the game in the bottom in the bottom half of the inning with Wayne Bond sending a Hoffman offering over the left-field wall. In the EMU eighth, Rhoad put the Eagles out in front with his second solo bomb of the day, this time to left field.
Up 6-5 heading into the ninth, Wendzicki was brought in to close the game out for EMU. Wendzicki’s first batter faced, Zach Dygert, knotted the game at six each with a solo shot of his own over the left-field wall. Kolbrin Vitek singled while Nate Fields was intentionally walked and Kory Benbow was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out in the Cardinal ninth. Freshman Tim Combs (Dayton, Ohio-Wayne) spelled Wendzicki, but found no luck as T.J. Baumet’s walk-off RBI single to left field gave the Cardinals the hard fought win.
The Eagles and Cardinals are back in action Saturday, May 3, here at Ball Diamond. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
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