Box Score.
YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team fell short in extra innings Saturday afternoon, May 2, at Oestrike Stadium, as the Ball State University Cardinals downed the Eagles, 12-11, in 10 innings in a Mid-American Conference West Division match-up.
EMU drops to 16-30 (8-12 MAC) with the loss, while BSU improves to 21-20 (9-11 MAC) with the win.
Down 12-9 going into the bottom of the 10th inning, the Eagles rallied, as a two-run homer over the right field wall by junior Jim Gulliver (Allen Park, Mich.-Allen Park) put EMU within a run at 12-11. But their rally would fall short, as BSU's Morgan Coombs closed the door on the rally to give the Cardinals the win.
Gulliver finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored and three RBI in the loss, while sophomore Matt Skirving (Midland, Mich.-H.H. Dow) and junior Andrew Marshall (Mason, Mich.-Mason) each homered for the Eagles.
Junior Aaron Crooks (Toledo, Ohio-Ottawa Hills) cracked his first-career home run in the loss, as he finished 1-for-3 with one run scored and one RBI.
The Cardinals wasted no time getting on the board, as RBI singles by Nate Fields and Zach Dygert put Ball State ahead, 2-0, in the top of the first.
EMU cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first, as a leadoff double by senior Kyle Rhoad (Fostoria, Ohio-Elmwood) and an RBI base hit Gulliver made it a 2-1 game. The Eagles tacked on one more in the bottom of the third on a Cardinal error to make it a 3-2 game.
The Cardinals broke the game open in the top of the fourth, as a two-run triple by Kolbrin Vitek and a pair of RBI singles put Ball State ahead, 7-2.
Marshall helped the Eagles inch closer in the bottom of the fourth, as his solo homer over the wall in center field made it a 7-3 game.
The Eagles limited Ball State's lead to two in the bottom of the fifth, as a solo homer by Crooks and a two-run shot by Skirving made it an 8-6 game. Junior Todd Graves (St. Mary's, Ohio-St. Mary's Memorial) made it an 8-8 game an inning later, blasting a two-run homer over the left field wall to even up the game. Graves finished 1-for-5 with one run scored and two RBI in the loss.
But Ball State reclaimed the lead in the top of the seventh, as an RBI double by Cody Elliott scored T.J. Baumet to make it a 9-8 game.
The Eagles rallied in the bottom of the ninth to send it to extra innings, as a two-out RBI single to center field by sophomore Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinley) plated Gulliver to make it a 9-9 game. Leonard finished 2-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI in the loss.
But BSU's three-run 10th proved too much, as they were able to escape with the win.
Tomorrow's rubber match is set for 1:05 p.m. at Oestrike Stadium. Senior pitcher Sean Hoffman (Midland, Mich.-Midland) will get the start on the mound for EMU, while Kolbrin Vitek will start for the Cardinals.
