Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, May 7
Oestrike Stadium
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
1
vs
0
Northern Illinois
Battistelli Twirls a Gem in 1-0 Walk-Off Win
5/7/2011 5:56:21 PM | Baseball
Pitcher’s dual ends in dramatic fashion
Box score.
Re-Listen to the Game.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Pitching was the pervailing theme Saturday afternoon, May 7, as Eastern Michigan University starter Joe Battistelli outlasted Tom Barry in a 1-0 walk-off victory over Northern Illinois University at Oestrike Stadium. The Eagles won the game in the bottom of the ninth on a Tucker Rubino single which plated Brent Ohrman.
The Eagles loaded the bases in the second inning, but were stymied offensively until the final inning when Brent Ohrman reached base on a bobbled ground ball by second baseman Alex Beckmann. After Zack Leonard sacrificed bunted Ohrman to second, Ben Magsig was intentionally walked to put two runners on. Rubino ultimately made NIU pay for their error with Eastern Michigan's fourth hit of the day and his 32nd RBI of the season.
Battistelli (6-1) pounded NIU hitters over nine shutout innings with an electric fastball and a deceptive curveball. He allowed just six hits while fanning seven batters and surrendering no walks.
For the Eagles (31-16; 13-7 MAC), Sam Ott continued to impress hitting out of the sixth spot in Jay Alexander's lineup, going 2-for-3 for a second day in-a-row. Matt Hitt and Rubino also tallied base knocks with Hitt earning a pair of walks.
Barry (3-5) was nearly as effective in his nine innings of work for NIU (23-22; 11-9 MAC), allowing no earned runs and just four singles. At one point, the lefty retired 18-straight batters from the second inning to the eighth. He also struck out four and walked two EMU hitters.
Jeff Zimmerman went 1-for-4 at the plate and earned the only extra-base hit of the afternoon for either team—an RBI double in the eighth inning. Five other Huskies had one-hit performances.
The game featured a combined 10 hits in just under two hours of play.
Ott registered his first hit of the game with two out hit in the second. Lee Longo was then hit by a wild pitch from Barry and Hitt sent a high chopper to shortstop to loaded bases. The threat was abruptly halted when Peterson popped up to short to end the inning.
Battistelli retired the first six batters he faced until Jordan Rishavy led-off the third inning with a sharp single up the middle. Rishavy was unable to score and the game remained scoreless.
Then in the fourth with Northern Illinois' Cory Krupp looming at third base in with two outs, Battistelli worked his way back from a 2-0 count to strike out Troy White swinging.
Both offenses remained silent until the eighth inning, when Jeff Zimmerman notched the game's only extra base hit with a line drive double to the right field wall. After Rishavy popped-out harmlessly in foul territory, Brian Riegler singled to center to put runners at the corners with one down. But Battistelli sent Alex Beckmann and Wells back to the dugout with swinging strikeout and a soft groundout to short.
The Eagles finally got their first baserunner since the second inning when Barry issued the game's first walk to Peterson with two outs. Peterson reached second with his fifth stolen base of the year, but was unable to advance from there.
In the ninth, NIU started another two-out threat as Joe Etcheverry singled up the right side. Battistelli then threw a tailing fastball into the left shoulder of White to put runners at first and second. Once again, Battistelli ended a scoring threat with lethal curveball to strike out Zimmerman for his seventh of the afternoon.
Rubino ended the pitcher's dual in the ninth inning with a single through the right side to give the Eagles their 12th victory in the last 13 contests
The Eagles and Huskies will wrap-up this weekend series Sunday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m. Corey Chaffins (6-3) will be on the bump for the Eagles, with Tony Manville (6-1) countering for NIU.
Re-Listen to the Game.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Pitching was the pervailing theme Saturday afternoon, May 7, as Eastern Michigan University starter Joe Battistelli outlasted Tom Barry in a 1-0 walk-off victory over Northern Illinois University at Oestrike Stadium. The Eagles won the game in the bottom of the ninth on a Tucker Rubino single which plated Brent Ohrman.
The Eagles loaded the bases in the second inning, but were stymied offensively until the final inning when Brent Ohrman reached base on a bobbled ground ball by second baseman Alex Beckmann. After Zack Leonard sacrificed bunted Ohrman to second, Ben Magsig was intentionally walked to put two runners on. Rubino ultimately made NIU pay for their error with Eastern Michigan's fourth hit of the day and his 32nd RBI of the season.
Battistelli (6-1) pounded NIU hitters over nine shutout innings with an electric fastball and a deceptive curveball. He allowed just six hits while fanning seven batters and surrendering no walks.
For the Eagles (31-16; 13-7 MAC), Sam Ott continued to impress hitting out of the sixth spot in Jay Alexander's lineup, going 2-for-3 for a second day in-a-row. Matt Hitt and Rubino also tallied base knocks with Hitt earning a pair of walks.
Barry (3-5) was nearly as effective in his nine innings of work for NIU (23-22; 11-9 MAC), allowing no earned runs and just four singles. At one point, the lefty retired 18-straight batters from the second inning to the eighth. He also struck out four and walked two EMU hitters.
Jeff Zimmerman went 1-for-4 at the plate and earned the only extra-base hit of the afternoon for either team—an RBI double in the eighth inning. Five other Huskies had one-hit performances.
The game featured a combined 10 hits in just under two hours of play.
Ott registered his first hit of the game with two out hit in the second. Lee Longo was then hit by a wild pitch from Barry and Hitt sent a high chopper to shortstop to loaded bases. The threat was abruptly halted when Peterson popped up to short to end the inning.
Battistelli retired the first six batters he faced until Jordan Rishavy led-off the third inning with a sharp single up the middle. Rishavy was unable to score and the game remained scoreless.
Then in the fourth with Northern Illinois' Cory Krupp looming at third base in with two outs, Battistelli worked his way back from a 2-0 count to strike out Troy White swinging.
Both offenses remained silent until the eighth inning, when Jeff Zimmerman notched the game's only extra base hit with a line drive double to the right field wall. After Rishavy popped-out harmlessly in foul territory, Brian Riegler singled to center to put runners at the corners with one down. But Battistelli sent Alex Beckmann and Wells back to the dugout with swinging strikeout and a soft groundout to short.
The Eagles finally got their first baserunner since the second inning when Barry issued the game's first walk to Peterson with two outs. Peterson reached second with his fifth stolen base of the year, but was unable to advance from there.
In the ninth, NIU started another two-out threat as Joe Etcheverry singled up the right side. Battistelli then threw a tailing fastball into the left shoulder of White to put runners at first and second. Once again, Battistelli ended a scoring threat with lethal curveball to strike out Zimmerman for his seventh of the afternoon.
Rubino ended the pitcher's dual in the ninth inning with a single through the right side to give the Eagles their 12th victory in the last 13 contests
The Eagles and Huskies will wrap-up this weekend series Sunday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m. Corey Chaffins (6-3) will be on the bump for the Eagles, with Tony Manville (6-1) countering for NIU.
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