Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, April 6
Kalamazoo, Mich.
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
11-18, 4-3
15
at
14
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Western Michigan
14-12, 5-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Eastern Michigan
0
0
0
0
2
5
3
1
4
15
17
4
Western Michigan
3
0
2
0
0
5
1
3
0
14
22
2
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Randy Mascharka
Baseball Rallies Past Western Michigan in Wild 15-14 Affair
4/6/2012 8:30:00 PM | Baseball
Four-run ninth inning gives EMU a series-opening win
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)— A four-run ninth inning for Eastern Michigan University capped off a thrilling 15-14 victory against Western Michigan University Friday, April 6, at Hyames Field. Bo Kinder's sacrifice fly in the final frame plated Daniel Russell for the winning run to hand the Broncos their first loss in Mid-American Conference play.
The Eagles (11-18; 4-3 MAC) were kept off the scoreboard for the first four innings and found themselves in a 5-0 hole at that point. But the bats woke up and provided a pair of runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth to vault EMU ahead, 7-5.
The Broncos (14-12; 5-1 MAC) knocked in five runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth before Eastern Michigan tied the score, 10-10, with a trio of tallies in the following at-bat. The see-saw battle continued into the bottom of the eighth when WMU broke an 11-11 tie with three runs to seemingly gain the upper hand for good.
However, EMU came though with a four-spot in its final at-bat and Joe Battistelli shut the door on the Broncos in the bottom of the ninth for his second save of the season. The Eagles won for the fourth time on the road this season, while Western Michigan suffered its first home setback.
The 29 combined runs were good for the most in a MAC game involving EMU since the Eagles defeated Bowling Green, 13-11, April 1, 2011. Western Michigan totaled 22 hits for the game, while the Eagles struck for 17 of their own in the game which lasted three hours and 46 minutes. The two teams combined for nine doubles and six errors, while both squads left 11 men on base.
The Green and White won its first game of the season when trailing after eight innings.
The top of the Eastern Michigan batting order demolished the Broncos' pitching staff Friday. Leadoff hitter Ben Magsig went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI, three runs scored and his team-leading 11th double. Batting second was Brent Ohrman, who extended his hitting streak to 14 games while rattling off four hits in five at bats and posting three RBI and a stolen base. Sam Ott hit 3-for-6 as the third batter, driving in two critical runs in the ninth-inning rally.
Kinder (1-for-4) scored three runs and drove in the game-winner for his only RBI of the game. Matt Hitt turned in a 3-for-6 performance and registered the game-tying single in the ninth. Lee Longo notched three RBI on a 1-for-5 afternoon.
Ben Dartnell (1-0) received his first collegiate victory after facing just one batter to finish off the eighth inning. Battistelli worked a scoreless ninth inning and struck out one batter en route to the save. Starter Neil Butara lasted 5.1 innings, but allowed eight runs (six earned) on 13 hits.
Patrick Borlik (5-3) took the loss for Western Michigan and surrendered five runs to become one of four Broncos pitchers to give up at least three earned runs. Casey Webber started on the hill for WMU and left after five innings in line to pick up the victory, but the EMU offense caught fire in the late innings and nullified the bid for a win.
Jared Kujawa (5-for-6) led the 22-hit attack for the Broncos, and joined Jordan Tillman (2-for-5) as the other player to hit a triple in the contest. Kujawa and cleanup hitter Ryan McMillin (3-for-5) each posted four RBI and notched a pair of doubles apiece.
Western Michigan opened the scoring with three runs in the first inning on back-to-back two baggers from Kujawa and McMillin along with a sacrifice fly from Patrick Duncan. That score held until the third inning, when the Kujawa-McMillin duo struck yet again with a triple and single, respectively, to make it 5-0.
Austin Williams started off the EMU fifth with the first of four hits in the inning. With two out, Longo drove in Williams and Ohrman to cut the deficit to 5-2. The Broncos threatened to blow the game wide open in the bottom of that frame when they loaded the bases with two gone, but Butara kept the Eagles in the contest with a called third strike.
With momentum now on their side, the Eagles sent 10 men to the plate in a five-run sixth inning to roar into the lead, 7-5. Hitt led off the inning with a double and was followed by a pair of free passes for Kinder and Tucker Rubino. The parade of walks continued as Williams took first base to force in Hitt. Magsig was then hit by Monty Porter offering for a conference-leading 10th time to bring a second run home.
Next up was Ohrman, who singled in Rubino to tie the score at five as the bases remained loaded. Porter issued his third walk of the inning and fourth overall to Longo which gave EMU its first lead of the game, 6-5. Russell allowed Magsig to touch home plate on a groundout for the final run.
The Eagles did not have much time to enjoy their lead as the Broncos responded with a big five-run inning of their own to regain the edge, 10-7. Kujawa and McMillin were at it again with RBI doubles. Duncan then made it three two-base hits in-a-row on a shot to left field.
A prompt rebuttal was delivered in the top of the seventh as Magsig doubled in a run and Ohrman plated a pair on a single to centerfield to tie the game once again, 10-10. Western scored a single run in the bottom of the inning, but EMU evened things up once more in the following frame when Rubino delivered a single to score Kinder, who reached base on a WMU error.
Brian Valente retired two of the first three batters he faced in the eighth inning, but the Broncos got to the right hander for three runs on two singles and a triple to break the tie and push ahead, 14-11.
Fortunately, the EMU offense had plenty of fuel left in it tank for the ninth inning, where Magsig and Ohrman started the rally with a pair of singles to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Ott then smacked a clutch double down the right field line to empty the bases and make it a one-run game.
Then with one out, Hitt delivered a single which resulted in Ott scoring the tying run on a costly error by the Western Michigan centerfielder. The miscue also allowed Russell, who walked earlier in the inning, to reach third base. Kinder made the Broncos pay for their mistake with a flare to left field which allowed Russell to score what proved to be the winning run.
Duncan singled in a last-ditch effort for WMU, but Battistelli finished off a wild EMU victory with a pair of groundouts and a strikeout.
Game two of this series is set for Saturday afternoon, April 7, at 1 p.m.
The Eagles (11-18; 4-3 MAC) were kept off the scoreboard for the first four innings and found themselves in a 5-0 hole at that point. But the bats woke up and provided a pair of runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth to vault EMU ahead, 7-5.
The Broncos (14-12; 5-1 MAC) knocked in five runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth before Eastern Michigan tied the score, 10-10, with a trio of tallies in the following at-bat. The see-saw battle continued into the bottom of the eighth when WMU broke an 11-11 tie with three runs to seemingly gain the upper hand for good.
However, EMU came though with a four-spot in its final at-bat and Joe Battistelli shut the door on the Broncos in the bottom of the ninth for his second save of the season. The Eagles won for the fourth time on the road this season, while Western Michigan suffered its first home setback.
The 29 combined runs were good for the most in a MAC game involving EMU since the Eagles defeated Bowling Green, 13-11, April 1, 2011. Western Michigan totaled 22 hits for the game, while the Eagles struck for 17 of their own in the game which lasted three hours and 46 minutes. The two teams combined for nine doubles and six errors, while both squads left 11 men on base.
The Green and White won its first game of the season when trailing after eight innings.
The top of the Eastern Michigan batting order demolished the Broncos' pitching staff Friday. Leadoff hitter Ben Magsig went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI, three runs scored and his team-leading 11th double. Batting second was Brent Ohrman, who extended his hitting streak to 14 games while rattling off four hits in five at bats and posting three RBI and a stolen base. Sam Ott hit 3-for-6 as the third batter, driving in two critical runs in the ninth-inning rally.
Kinder (1-for-4) scored three runs and drove in the game-winner for his only RBI of the game. Matt Hitt turned in a 3-for-6 performance and registered the game-tying single in the ninth. Lee Longo notched three RBI on a 1-for-5 afternoon.
Ben Dartnell (1-0) received his first collegiate victory after facing just one batter to finish off the eighth inning. Battistelli worked a scoreless ninth inning and struck out one batter en route to the save. Starter Neil Butara lasted 5.1 innings, but allowed eight runs (six earned) on 13 hits.
Patrick Borlik (5-3) took the loss for Western Michigan and surrendered five runs to become one of four Broncos pitchers to give up at least three earned runs. Casey Webber started on the hill for WMU and left after five innings in line to pick up the victory, but the EMU offense caught fire in the late innings and nullified the bid for a win.
Jared Kujawa (5-for-6) led the 22-hit attack for the Broncos, and joined Jordan Tillman (2-for-5) as the other player to hit a triple in the contest. Kujawa and cleanup hitter Ryan McMillin (3-for-5) each posted four RBI and notched a pair of doubles apiece.
Western Michigan opened the scoring with three runs in the first inning on back-to-back two baggers from Kujawa and McMillin along with a sacrifice fly from Patrick Duncan. That score held until the third inning, when the Kujawa-McMillin duo struck yet again with a triple and single, respectively, to make it 5-0.
Austin Williams started off the EMU fifth with the first of four hits in the inning. With two out, Longo drove in Williams and Ohrman to cut the deficit to 5-2. The Broncos threatened to blow the game wide open in the bottom of that frame when they loaded the bases with two gone, but Butara kept the Eagles in the contest with a called third strike.
With momentum now on their side, the Eagles sent 10 men to the plate in a five-run sixth inning to roar into the lead, 7-5. Hitt led off the inning with a double and was followed by a pair of free passes for Kinder and Tucker Rubino. The parade of walks continued as Williams took first base to force in Hitt. Magsig was then hit by Monty Porter offering for a conference-leading 10th time to bring a second run home.
Next up was Ohrman, who singled in Rubino to tie the score at five as the bases remained loaded. Porter issued his third walk of the inning and fourth overall to Longo which gave EMU its first lead of the game, 6-5. Russell allowed Magsig to touch home plate on a groundout for the final run.
The Eagles did not have much time to enjoy their lead as the Broncos responded with a big five-run inning of their own to regain the edge, 10-7. Kujawa and McMillin were at it again with RBI doubles. Duncan then made it three two-base hits in-a-row on a shot to left field.
A prompt rebuttal was delivered in the top of the seventh as Magsig doubled in a run and Ohrman plated a pair on a single to centerfield to tie the game once again, 10-10. Western scored a single run in the bottom of the inning, but EMU evened things up once more in the following frame when Rubino delivered a single to score Kinder, who reached base on a WMU error.
Brian Valente retired two of the first three batters he faced in the eighth inning, but the Broncos got to the right hander for three runs on two singles and a triple to break the tie and push ahead, 14-11.
Fortunately, the EMU offense had plenty of fuel left in it tank for the ninth inning, where Magsig and Ohrman started the rally with a pair of singles to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Ott then smacked a clutch double down the right field line to empty the bases and make it a one-run game.
Then with one out, Hitt delivered a single which resulted in Ott scoring the tying run on a costly error by the Western Michigan centerfielder. The miscue also allowed Russell, who walked earlier in the inning, to reach third base. Kinder made the Broncos pay for their mistake with a flare to left field which allowed Russell to score what proved to be the winning run.
Duncan singled in a last-ditch effort for WMU, but Battistelli finished off a wild EMU victory with a pair of groundouts and a strikeout.
Game two of this series is set for Saturday afternoon, April 7, at 1 p.m.
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dartnell, Ben (1-0)
L: BORLIK (5-3)
S: Battistelli, Joe (2)
Batting:
2B: Magsig, Ben 1 ; Ott, Sam 1 ; Hitt, Matt 1
RBI: Magsig, Ben 2 ; Ohrman, Brent 3 ; Ott, Sam 2 ; Longo, Lee 3 ; Russell, Daniel 1 ; Kinder, Bo 1 ; Rubino, Tucker 1 ; Williams, Austin 1
SF: Kinder, Bo 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Magsig, Ben 3 ; Ohrman, Brent 2 ; Ott, Sam 1 ; Russell, Daniel 1 ; Hitt, Matt 1 ; Kinder, Bo 3 ; Rubino, Tucker 2 ; Williams, Austin 2
SB: Ohrman, Brent 1
HBP: Magsig, Ben 1
PO: Ohrman, Brent 1
.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
Batting:
2B: KUJAWA 2 ; McMILLIN 2 ; DUNCAN 1 ; TILLMAN 1
3B: KUJAWA 1 ; TILLMAN 1
RBI: BOOKER 1 ; KUJAWA 4 ; McMILLIN 4 ; DUNCAN 2 ; SCANLON 1 ; TILLMAN 1
SH: THOMA 1 ; FORTON 1 ; SHUTES, Dan 1
SF: DUNCAN 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BOOKER 2 ; THOMA 2 ; KUJAWA 3 ; McMILLIN 2 ; DUNCAN 2 ; PICCIRILLI 1 ; TILLMAN 2
CS: BOOKER 1
HBP: THOMA 1
Game Leaders
Inside the Ride Episode 2: Katie Condon
Thursday, October 16
16th Annual EMU Baseball Golf Outing
Sunday, October 05
Oestrike Stadium Turf Replacement Time lapse
Friday, October 03
Oestrike Stadium Upgrades Reveal
Thursday, October 02