Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, March 16
Oestrike Stadium
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
4-12
19
vs
10
Niagara
7-8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Niagara
1
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
0
10
13
7
Eastern Michigan
3
0
2
1
5
0
4
4
X
19
15
4
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Randy Mascharka
Eagles Win Wild Home Opener Over Niagara, 19-10
3/16/2012 7:21:00 PM | Baseball
Longo goes 5-for-5 as Eagles jump back into the win column
Box Score.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)—The Eastern Michigan University baseball team opened its 2012 home schedule here Friday afternoon, March 16, with a wild 19-10 win against Niagara University at Oestrike Stadium. Lee Longo posted a perfect 5-for-5 afternoon and Austin Williams drove in four runs against a Niagara team which committed seven errors.
The Eagles (4-12) slugged their way back into the win column, tallying 19 runs on 15 hits including three for extra bases. With EMU trailing, 7-6, heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, the Green and White struck for five runs and then added four more in the seventh and four in the eighth to pull ahead for good.
When the three-hour, 21-minute game ended on a soft Niagara groundout to third base, there were a combined 29 runs, 28 hits and 11 errors showing on the Oestrike Stadium scoreboard. The Eagles' 19 runs was good for the team's largest offensive output since May 13, 2011, when they defeated the University of Toledo, 18-2.
Longo's stellar afternoon also included a pair of RBI, a double, five runs scored and a base on balls. The Mayfield, Ohio native smashed his previous career-best of three hits in a game with five. Williams was 3-for-5 at the dish with a run scored. Tallying the only triple of the afternoon was Bo Kinder, who now has four three baggers on the season and three in his last four games.
Eastern Michigan batters also benefited from 11 walks in the contest, with Matt Hitt recording a game-high three free passes, and Ben Magsig and Daniel Russel each notching two. Hitt went 1-for-3 to extend his hitting streak to six games.
Paul Schaak (1-1) earned his first win as an EMU pitcher after tossing two and one-third innings in relief. The sophomore left hander up three runs (two earned) and a pair of NU hits while striking out one batter. Steve Weber was roughed up for seven earned runs and nine hits over four innings in his sixth start of 2012.
The Purple Eagles (7-8) made a season-high seven miscues which resulted in a total of five unearned runs. Niagara had a disastrous seventh inning in which it surrendered four runs on just one EMU hit and three errors.
Five Niagara batters finished the game with two-or-more hits including Bernard Wynton, who went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Jon Wilson drove in a team-high three runs for the Purple Eagles.
Four of the five Niagara pitchers used Friday gave up at least one earned run including Tyler Spear (0-2), who took the loss after allowing three runs in two-thirds of an inning in relief of starter Drew Fittry.
Niagara put a run on the board in its first at bat to take a 1-0 lead. Kevin Paulsen scored on an RBI single through the left side by Bernard.
Russell's two-RBI single in the bottom of the first capped off a three-run frame for the Eagles. Fittry walked the bases loaded and Longo hit in EMU's first run on a single.
Weber worked his way into trouble in the third when Niagara loaded the bases with no outs. The 6-foot righty struck out Joel Klock for the first out, but Jon Wilson hit a 2-2 offering off the wall in left field for a double to tie the game, 3-3. Evan Wexler then drove in the go-ahead run on a dribbler to third base.
EMU regained the lead, 5-4, in the bottom of the third when Williams sent a chopper past Niagara shortstop Wilson and into left field to score a pair of runs. Magsig made it a 6-4 game in the following inning with a sacrifice fly.
NU chased Weber from the game in the fifth inning and scored three times to jump ahead for the second time in the game, 7-6. Bernard stole third and scored on an arrant throw from Hitt behind the plate to begin the scoring, and Wilson's RBI double sent Jay Alexander to his bullpen.
The see-saw battle continued into the bottom of the fifth, when Magsig's two-RBI single drove in the fourth and fifth runs of the inning to give EMU its largest lead of the afternoon to that point, 11-7. Longo also doubled for his fourth hit of the contest and knocked in Williams.
Niagara tacked on a trio of runs in the seventh to cut the Eagles' lead to 11-10. A Rubino throwing error to first base with two outs allowed the third Niagara run to cross home plate.
The Eagles would not allow Niagara any closer, however, as the they piled on eight additional runs due in large part to a complete defensive collapse by the purple Eagles. Steady pitching from Jeffrey Rousseau and Ben Dartnell kept the Purple Eagles off the scoreboard for the final two innings.
The middle-game of this three-game set will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 17.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)—The Eastern Michigan University baseball team opened its 2012 home schedule here Friday afternoon, March 16, with a wild 19-10 win against Niagara University at Oestrike Stadium. Lee Longo posted a perfect 5-for-5 afternoon and Austin Williams drove in four runs against a Niagara team which committed seven errors.
The Eagles (4-12) slugged their way back into the win column, tallying 19 runs on 15 hits including three for extra bases. With EMU trailing, 7-6, heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, the Green and White struck for five runs and then added four more in the seventh and four in the eighth to pull ahead for good.
When the three-hour, 21-minute game ended on a soft Niagara groundout to third base, there were a combined 29 runs, 28 hits and 11 errors showing on the Oestrike Stadium scoreboard. The Eagles' 19 runs was good for the team's largest offensive output since May 13, 2011, when they defeated the University of Toledo, 18-2.
Longo's stellar afternoon also included a pair of RBI, a double, five runs scored and a base on balls. The Mayfield, Ohio native smashed his previous career-best of three hits in a game with five. Williams was 3-for-5 at the dish with a run scored. Tallying the only triple of the afternoon was Bo Kinder, who now has four three baggers on the season and three in his last four games.
Eastern Michigan batters also benefited from 11 walks in the contest, with Matt Hitt recording a game-high three free passes, and Ben Magsig and Daniel Russel each notching two. Hitt went 1-for-3 to extend his hitting streak to six games.
Paul Schaak (1-1) earned his first win as an EMU pitcher after tossing two and one-third innings in relief. The sophomore left hander up three runs (two earned) and a pair of NU hits while striking out one batter. Steve Weber was roughed up for seven earned runs and nine hits over four innings in his sixth start of 2012.
The Purple Eagles (7-8) made a season-high seven miscues which resulted in a total of five unearned runs. Niagara had a disastrous seventh inning in which it surrendered four runs on just one EMU hit and three errors.
Five Niagara batters finished the game with two-or-more hits including Bernard Wynton, who went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Jon Wilson drove in a team-high three runs for the Purple Eagles.
Four of the five Niagara pitchers used Friday gave up at least one earned run including Tyler Spear (0-2), who took the loss after allowing three runs in two-thirds of an inning in relief of starter Drew Fittry.
Niagara put a run on the board in its first at bat to take a 1-0 lead. Kevin Paulsen scored on an RBI single through the left side by Bernard.
Russell's two-RBI single in the bottom of the first capped off a three-run frame for the Eagles. Fittry walked the bases loaded and Longo hit in EMU's first run on a single.
Weber worked his way into trouble in the third when Niagara loaded the bases with no outs. The 6-foot righty struck out Joel Klock for the first out, but Jon Wilson hit a 2-2 offering off the wall in left field for a double to tie the game, 3-3. Evan Wexler then drove in the go-ahead run on a dribbler to third base.
EMU regained the lead, 5-4, in the bottom of the third when Williams sent a chopper past Niagara shortstop Wilson and into left field to score a pair of runs. Magsig made it a 6-4 game in the following inning with a sacrifice fly.
NU chased Weber from the game in the fifth inning and scored three times to jump ahead for the second time in the game, 7-6. Bernard stole third and scored on an arrant throw from Hitt behind the plate to begin the scoring, and Wilson's RBI double sent Jay Alexander to his bullpen.
The see-saw battle continued into the bottom of the fifth, when Magsig's two-RBI single drove in the fourth and fifth runs of the inning to give EMU its largest lead of the afternoon to that point, 11-7. Longo also doubled for his fourth hit of the contest and knocked in Williams.
Niagara tacked on a trio of runs in the seventh to cut the Eagles' lead to 11-10. A Rubino throwing error to first base with two outs allowed the third Niagara run to cross home plate.
The Eagles would not allow Niagara any closer, however, as the they piled on eight additional runs due in large part to a complete defensive collapse by the purple Eagles. Steady pitching from Jeffrey Rousseau and Ben Dartnell kept the Purple Eagles off the scoreboard for the final two innings.
The middle-game of this three-game set will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 17.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Schaak, Paul (1-1)
L: Spear, Tyler (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Hink, Eric 1 ; Bernard, Wynton 1 ; Wilson, Jon 2
RBI: Paulsen, Kevin 1 ; Bernard, Wynton 1 ; Wilson, Jon 3 ; Wexler, Evan 2 ; Rodrigues, Thomas 1
SH: Paulsen, Kevin 1 ; Wagner, Adam 1 ; Wexler, Evan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Paulsen, Kevin 1 ; Hink, Eric 1 ; McCauley, Ryan 1 ; Bernard, Wynton 2 ; Klock, Joel 1 ; Wilson, Jon 2 ; Wexler, Evan 1 ; Rodrigues, Thomas 1
SB: Bernard, Wynton 2
CS: Paulsen, Kevin 1
HBP: Wilson, Jon 2 ; Rodrigues, Thomas 1
Batting:
2B: Longo, Lee 2 ; Hitt, Matt 1
3B: Kinder, Bo 1
RBI: Ohrman, Brent 1 ; Ott, Sam 1 ; Longo, Lee 2 ; Magsig, Ben 3 ; Hitt, Matt 2 ; Russell, Daniel 2 ; Williams, Austin 4
SF: Ott, Sam 1 ; Magsig, Ben 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kinder, Bo 1 ; Ohrman, Brent 5 ; Longo, Lee 5 ; Magsig, Ben 3 ; Hitt, Matt 1 ; Russell, Daniel 2 ; Rubino, Tucker 1 ; Williams, Austin 1
SB: Ohrman, Brent 1 ; Magsig, Ben 1 ; Williams, Austin 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
4
AB
5
R
5
H
1
RBI
1
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