Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Jacksonville State
Eagles Hold On For 10-8 Win Over Gamecocks
3/12/2010 7:06:21 PM | Baseball
EMU takes game one of a three-game set versus Jacksonville State
Box score
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. (EMUEagles.com) – Behind impressive performances from juniors Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinley) and Corey Chaffins (New London, Ohio-New London), the Eastern Michigan University baseball team opened its three-game series against Jacksonville State University with a 10-8 victory Friday afternoon, March 12, at Rudy Abbott Field in Jacksonville, Ala.
The Eagles move to 5-7 with the win, while the Gamecocks fall to 4-9 with the loss.
Leonard, the reigning Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week, went 2-for-5 at the plate with a home run, two runs scored and five RBI to lead the EMU offense. In his past six games, Leonard has tallied 17 RBI, including two games with five RBI.
Chaffins (2-0) was stellar on the mound for the Eagles, earning his second victory of the season after going six and two-thirds innings and giving up five runs on six hits on 125 pitches, while tying a season-high in strikeouts with eight.
Junior Ken Battiston (West Milton, Ohio-Milton Union) went 3-for-4 with three runs scored in the win, while redshirt sophomore transfer Ben Magsig (Okemos, Mich.-Okemos-Lansing C.C.) finished the day 2-for-2 with one run scored and one RBI.
The Eagles got on the scoreboard early, as Leonard hit a two-run single through the left side to plate Magsig and Battiston to make it a 2-0 game.
After the Gamecocks put up two runs in the bottom of the second to tie the game, the Eagles answered with three runs in the top of the third on four hits and a JSU error to make it a 5-2 game. But Jax State managed to limit the deficit to two in the bottom half of the inning, making it a 5-3 game.
The Eagles took a six-run lead in the top of the fourth, as Leonard's three-run homer and a sacrifice fly by Magsig gave Eastern Michigan a 9-3 advantage.
The Eagles went into the bottom of the ninth with a three-run lead, but the Gamecocks threatened to pull within a run and make it a 10-8 game. However, EMU freshman pitcher Brett Cisper (Loveland, Ohio-Moeller) managed to strike out Sam Eberle, who homered twice in the game, with two outs to secure the win for EMU and earn his fourth save of the season.
EMU and JSU play again tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Rudy Abbott Field.
