Eagles Edge Zips, 5-3

Box Score.

YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team was victorious in the rubber match against the University of Akron Sunday afternoon, April 5, at Oestrike Stadium, as the Eagles registered a 5-3 win over the Zips in a Mid-American Conference cross-divisional tilt.

The Eagles improve to 6-23 (2-7 MAC) with the win, while the Zips drop to 6-23 (3-6 MAC) with the loss.

Junior Andrew Marshall (Mason, Mich.-Mason) went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in the victory, his third of the season.

Senior Sean Hoffman (Midland, Mich.-Midland) pitched well in relief to earn his first win of the season, while Akron's Andrew Brown took the loss. EMU starter Jordan Goldschmidt (Ft. Loramie, Ohio-Ft. Loramie) pitched well for the Eagles, going five and one-thirds innings, giving up three runs (one earned) on seven hits, while fanning seven Akron batters.

The EMU offense put its first run on the board in the bottom of the third, as a sacrifice fly to left field by sophomore Matt Skriving (Midland, Mich.-H.H. Dow) plated senior Kyle Rhoad (Fostoria, Ohio-Elmwood) to make it a 1-0 game. Marshall's towering solo homer over the left field wall later in the inning extended EMU's lead to 2-0.

The Zips pulled within a run in the top of the fourth, as a single through the left side by Jake Plata scored Brandon Roberts to make it a 2-1 game.

Redshirt freshman Wally Gerbus (Fairfield, Ohio-Stephen T. Baden) put EMU back up a pair in the bottom of the fourth, as his RBI groundout plated freshman Kyle Klein (Grand Rapids, Mich.-West Catholic) to make it a 3-1 game.

The Zips pulled within a run in the top of the sixth, as an RBI single up the middle by Phil Bednar scored Ryan Frazee to make it a 3-2 game and force EMU head coach Jay Alexander to pull Goldschmidt after five and one-third innings and 92 pitches. Akron's Lawrence Penn tied the game later in the inning with an infield single, making it a 3-3 game. But Hoffman came into the game in relief to get out of the bases loaded jam and keep the score knotted at 3-3.

But the Eagles reclaimed the lead an inning later, as a sac-fly to center field by junior Jim Gulliver (Allen Park, Mich.-Allen Park) scored junior Aaron Crooks (Toledo, Ohio-Ottawa Hills) to put EMU ahead, 4-3. The Eagles tacked on one more an inning later to take a 5-3 lead, which they would never relinquish.

The Eagles are back in action Tuesday, April 7, for a non-conference tilt in Bowling Green, Ohio against the Falcons of Bowling Green State University. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. at Steller Field.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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