Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Wayne State
Eagles Top Wayne State, 10-8, in Extra Innings
3/23/2010 8:14:23 PM | Baseball
Leonard's two-run double in the 10th inning lifts EMU to victory
Box score
DETROIT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – A two-run double in the top of the 10th inning by junior Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinley) lifted the Eastern Michigan University baseball team to a 10-8 win over the Wayne State University Warriors Tuesday afternoon, March 23, at WSU Baseball Field, helping EMU Head Coach Jay Alexander pick up the victory over his former team in his first game versus WSU.
The win improves the Eagles to 7-13 this season, while the Warriors fall to 7-10 with the loss.
After Wayne State came back from four runs down to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings, Leonard belted a two-run double to the gap in left center to score what proved to be the game winning runs, giving EMU a 10-8 advantage. Leonard finished the contest 1-for-4 at the plate with two RBI.
Freshman Neil Butara (Euclid, Ohio-St. Ignatius) shut down the Warriors in the bottom of the 10th to earn his first career victory and give the Eagles the win.
Senior Andrew Marshall (Mason, Mich.-Mason) had a stellar day at the plate, as he finished 2-for-4 and scored a game-high four runs to lead the Eagles to victory.
Freshman Daniel Russell (Grandville, Mich.-Grandville) finished with a pair of hits in the win, while junior transfer Bo Kinder (Wapella, Ill.-Clinton Community-Kaskaskia C.C.) drove in three runs, all on sacrifice flies.
Down a run going into the top of the fifth, the Eagles rallied for four runs to take their first lead of the game, as three hits, including an RBI double by sophomore Wally Gerbus (Fairfield, Ohio-Stephen T. Baden), and a WSU error, helped EMU take a 6-3 lead.
But the Warriors proved resilient in the bottom of the ninth, scoring three runs on four hits, including a three-run home run by Michael Wiseman, to make it an 8-8 game and send the game to extras.
But the Eagles managed to regroup in the extra frame, as Leonard's two-run double gave the Eagles the lead and allowed Butara to retire the Warriors in the bottom of the 10th to preserve the victory.
The Eagles are back in action tomorrow, March 24, when they take on Cleveland State University at 3 p.m. at All-Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio.
