Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, May 28
Chillicothe, Ohio
12 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
0
vs
8
Kent State
Eastern Michigan's Season Concludes with 8-0 Loss to Kent State
5/28/2011 2:45:44 PM | Baseball
Eastern Michigan falls for the third straight season in the MAC Tournament semifinal.
Box Score
Re-Listen to the Game.
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team saw its season come to an end despite a courageous effort by senior left-hander Robert Wendzicki (Brook Park, Ohio-Midpark), who pitched outstanding on just two days of rest, but Kent State University came away with the 8-0 win to advance to face Miami University in the 2011 Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship Game later today, May 27, at V.A. Memorial Stadium.
Wendzicki (6-6), who earned the win over Northern Illinois in the tournament opener Wednesday after throwing 127 pitches, displayed a masterful performance today as he threw over 100 pitches and held the Flashes at bay for six and two-thirds innings.
In the final start of his EMU career, the Brook Park, Ohio native didn't allow a runner to reach third base until the fifth inning and retired the first two batters he faced in the seventh before things unraveled.
He struck out five and walked just one, allowing three runs on five hits. His counterpart, the projected first round draft pick in Andrew Chafin (7-1), struggled early on, but rebounded impressively to throw a complete-game shutout to send the Flashes on to the championship game.
Base hits came at a premium early on, but Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinley) and Tucker Rubino (Scottsdale, Ariz.-Horizon-Glendale C.C.) each posted 2-for-4 efforts. Leonard registers 87 hits for the season, fourth-most in a single season in EMU history. His 315 career hits ranks first on the all-time list. Travis Shaw and George Roberts were the only Flashes to record multiple hits, tallying two-apiece. Evan Campbell posted a 1-for-4 day, but added a game-high four RBI.
With the loss, EMU ends its season with a 37-22 ledger. It was the most wins for an EMU squad since the 1982 team won 39. The Flashes improve to 42-15 overall with the win.
The Eagles tried to take advantage of an early scoring chance, loading the bases with two outs in the second inning by drawing a pair of walks and using a Rubino single to force the left hand of Chafin. However, the highly touted hurler rebounded to escape the threat by striking out Matt Hitt (Fishers, Ind.-Fishers-Kishwaukee C.C.) with a pitch that just got a piece of the outside corner.
In the fifth, Kent State came back with a scoring threat as it was able to get a baserunner to third base for the first time against Wendzicki, putting two on with only one out. After an incredible bare-handed flip to first base by Wendzicki to get the second out of the inning, Magsig's diving stop and throw to first to retire Derek Toadvine got them out of it.
Wendzicki retired seven in a row into the seventh inning, but that streak came to an end when the lefty plunked pinch-hitter Nick Hamilton after building a 1-2 count against him. With two outs, the Flashes then posted back-to-back singles. The second hit was an RBI single through the left side by Joe Koch to give KSU a 1-0 lead.
That would end Wendzicki's day, falling one out short of seven complete innings while scattering just five hits in an impressive performance off just two days of rest. His final line read three runs on five hits with five strikeouts and just one walk over six and two-thirds innings.
Tim Combs (Dayton, Ohio-Wayne) came on in relief, but had no success against the only batter he faced as he walked the right-handed hitting Toadvine to load the bases. Neil Butara (Euclid, Ohio-St. Ignatius) then took the mound and after tossing two straight balls, Evan Campbell blew the game wide open by hitting a long home run to right field to give Kent State a commanding 5-0.
KSU would add three insurance runs an inning later, highlighted by Travis Shaw's 14th home run of the season.
Now that the college season is over, several Eastern Michigan players will now await the start of their respective collegiate wooden bat summer league seasons. Check back at EMUEagles.com for information about where each player is heading this summer.
Re-Listen to the Game.
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team saw its season come to an end despite a courageous effort by senior left-hander Robert Wendzicki (Brook Park, Ohio-Midpark), who pitched outstanding on just two days of rest, but Kent State University came away with the 8-0 win to advance to face Miami University in the 2011 Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship Game later today, May 27, at V.A. Memorial Stadium.
Wendzicki (6-6), who earned the win over Northern Illinois in the tournament opener Wednesday after throwing 127 pitches, displayed a masterful performance today as he threw over 100 pitches and held the Flashes at bay for six and two-thirds innings.
In the final start of his EMU career, the Brook Park, Ohio native didn't allow a runner to reach third base until the fifth inning and retired the first two batters he faced in the seventh before things unraveled.
He struck out five and walked just one, allowing three runs on five hits. His counterpart, the projected first round draft pick in Andrew Chafin (7-1), struggled early on, but rebounded impressively to throw a complete-game shutout to send the Flashes on to the championship game.
Base hits came at a premium early on, but Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinley) and Tucker Rubino (Scottsdale, Ariz.-Horizon-Glendale C.C.) each posted 2-for-4 efforts. Leonard registers 87 hits for the season, fourth-most in a single season in EMU history. His 315 career hits ranks first on the all-time list. Travis Shaw and George Roberts were the only Flashes to record multiple hits, tallying two-apiece. Evan Campbell posted a 1-for-4 day, but added a game-high four RBI.
With the loss, EMU ends its season with a 37-22 ledger. It was the most wins for an EMU squad since the 1982 team won 39. The Flashes improve to 42-15 overall with the win.
The Eagles tried to take advantage of an early scoring chance, loading the bases with two outs in the second inning by drawing a pair of walks and using a Rubino single to force the left hand of Chafin. However, the highly touted hurler rebounded to escape the threat by striking out Matt Hitt (Fishers, Ind.-Fishers-Kishwaukee C.C.) with a pitch that just got a piece of the outside corner.
In the fifth, Kent State came back with a scoring threat as it was able to get a baserunner to third base for the first time against Wendzicki, putting two on with only one out. After an incredible bare-handed flip to first base by Wendzicki to get the second out of the inning, Magsig's diving stop and throw to first to retire Derek Toadvine got them out of it.
Wendzicki retired seven in a row into the seventh inning, but that streak came to an end when the lefty plunked pinch-hitter Nick Hamilton after building a 1-2 count against him. With two outs, the Flashes then posted back-to-back singles. The second hit was an RBI single through the left side by Joe Koch to give KSU a 1-0 lead.
That would end Wendzicki's day, falling one out short of seven complete innings while scattering just five hits in an impressive performance off just two days of rest. His final line read three runs on five hits with five strikeouts and just one walk over six and two-thirds innings.
Tim Combs (Dayton, Ohio-Wayne) came on in relief, but had no success against the only batter he faced as he walked the right-handed hitting Toadvine to load the bases. Neil Butara (Euclid, Ohio-St. Ignatius) then took the mound and after tossing two straight balls, Evan Campbell blew the game wide open by hitting a long home run to right field to give Kent State a commanding 5-0.
KSU would add three insurance runs an inning later, highlighted by Travis Shaw's 14th home run of the season.
Now that the college season is over, several Eastern Michigan players will now await the start of their respective collegiate wooden bat summer league seasons. Check back at EMUEagles.com for information about where each player is heading this summer.
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