Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, February 23
Pullman, Wash.
Noon
Eastern Michigan University
1-2
4
at
8
Washington State
2-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Eastern Michigan
0
1
2
0
1
0
0
0
0
4
10
2
Washington State
1
2
5
0
0
0
0
0
X
8
12
0
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Randy Mascharka
Baseball Drops Double Dip to Washington State
2/23/2013 9:14:00 PM | Baseball
Doubleheader to wrap up series Sunday beginning at noon pacific
PULLMAN, Wash. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University and Washington State University baseball teams braved below-freezing wind chills to play the first of two doubleheaders Saturday, Feb. 23, at Bailey-Brayton Field. The Eagles (1-3) dropped both games to the Cougars (3-2) by scores of 8-4 and 1-0, respectively.
Game one belonged to the offenses as both squads tallied double-digit hits along with nine extra-base knocks. A five-run third inning for WSU proved to be the difference as the Eagles failed to take advantage of late-innings walks from Cougars relievers.
Kendall Lewis and Joe Pistorese put on a show from the mound in the second game, but the contest would ultimately be decided by the bullpens. The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the ninth, when the Cougars won it on a walk-off double.
The four-game series concludes Sunday, Feb. 24, with a doubleheader beginning at noon pacific (3 p.m. ET).
Game One
Saturday's opener featured a combined 11 runs through the first three innings. Unfortunately for EMU, eight of those runs went to the Cougars, who handed starter Neil Butara (0-2) his second loss of the season. Butara lasted seven innings in brutal weather conditions, giving up eight runs (six earned) and 12 hits while striking out one.
Tanner Chleboard (1-1) lasted five innings for the Cougars and picked up his first win of the year. He allowed four earned runs and seven hits to go along with a strikeout.
Blustery winds played a key role in the two clubs racking up nine extra-base hits including five doubles and four triples. Ironically, there were no home runs. Jamie Simpson notched his second three-bagger of the season in a 2-for-5 effort while leadoff man Daniel Russell was 3-for-4 with a walk and a pair of runs scored.
Yale Rosen tallied the game's first run in the bottom of the first with an RBI single. EMU promptly tied the contest, 1-1, in the top of the second as third baseman Mitchell McGeein used a sacrifice fly to drive in Simpson, who notched a one-out triple in the previous at-bat.
Nearly the same situation played out in the following inning as the Green and White answered two Cougars' runs with a pair of its own to make it a 3-3 score. WSU scored its runs on a pair of RBI triples, while the Eagles got an RBI double from John Rubino and a run-scoring single off the bat of Lee Longo.
A bone-chilling breeze did little to cool down Washington State's bats in the bottom of the third inning as the Cougars sent nine men to the plate and tacked on five runs for an 8-3 advantage. WSU turned in a five-hit frame and benefited from a Nick Rotola fielding error at second base for a pair of unearned markers.
The Eagles would not get back on the scoreboard until the fifth inning, when Russell crossed home plate on an RBI double from Sam Ott. Ott made it as far as third base, but was stranded there as the score stood at 8-4.
Over the final four innings, EMU posted several scoring chances but was unable to claw its way back into the game despite WSU reliever Sean Hartnett issuing five free passes over 3.1 innings of work.
Game Two
The nightcap resulted in a pair of masterful pitching performances from starting pitchers Lewis and Pistorese. Neither starter earned a decision, however, as Washington State scored the game's only run in the bottom of the ninth inning against freshman lefty Devon Bronson (0-1) for the 1-0 win.
Lewis scattered four hits over seven innings and sprinkled in a trio of strikeouts. Pistorese also tallied three punch-outs and tossed eight innings of six-hit baseball. WSU reliever Kellen Camus (1-0) earned the win after pitching a spotless ninth inning.
Unlike in game one, offense of any kind was at a premium in the second contest as both sides managed just six hits apiece. Longo was the only player on either team to earn a multiple-hit game with a 2-for-4 showing.
EMU's first scoring threat came in the fourth inning, when Longo looped a one-out double down the left-field line. The EMU designated hitter would end up being cut down at third base on a fielder's choice. In the bottom of that frame, Jason Monda reached third base on a throwing error, but Lewis fooled PJ Jones for strike three to end the inning and leave Monda stranded.
In the eighth, Dae Bowden led off with a single. Marquise Gill then put a ball in play which was mishandled by Pistorese. That put two on with nobody out. A Russell sacrifice bunt put the Eagles' potential first run just 90 feet away, but John Rubino fouled out and Ott flied out to center and the game remained scoreless.
With the departure of Lewis, Head Coach Jay Alexander threw the youngster Bronson into the fire for the bottom of the eighth. Bronson retired batters 8-9-1 in order with a strikeout.
It would again be up to Bronson to face the heart of the Cougars' order in the ninth. Nick Tanielu led off with a single and Yale Rosen was intentionally walked two batters later to put two on with one out. Jones then stepped up to bat and delivered the game-winning double to left-center.
Game one belonged to the offenses as both squads tallied double-digit hits along with nine extra-base knocks. A five-run third inning for WSU proved to be the difference as the Eagles failed to take advantage of late-innings walks from Cougars relievers.
Kendall Lewis and Joe Pistorese put on a show from the mound in the second game, but the contest would ultimately be decided by the bullpens. The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the ninth, when the Cougars won it on a walk-off double.
The four-game series concludes Sunday, Feb. 24, with a doubleheader beginning at noon pacific (3 p.m. ET).
Game One
Saturday's opener featured a combined 11 runs through the first three innings. Unfortunately for EMU, eight of those runs went to the Cougars, who handed starter Neil Butara (0-2) his second loss of the season. Butara lasted seven innings in brutal weather conditions, giving up eight runs (six earned) and 12 hits while striking out one.
Tanner Chleboard (1-1) lasted five innings for the Cougars and picked up his first win of the year. He allowed four earned runs and seven hits to go along with a strikeout.
Blustery winds played a key role in the two clubs racking up nine extra-base hits including five doubles and four triples. Ironically, there were no home runs. Jamie Simpson notched his second three-bagger of the season in a 2-for-5 effort while leadoff man Daniel Russell was 3-for-4 with a walk and a pair of runs scored.
Yale Rosen tallied the game's first run in the bottom of the first with an RBI single. EMU promptly tied the contest, 1-1, in the top of the second as third baseman Mitchell McGeein used a sacrifice fly to drive in Simpson, who notched a one-out triple in the previous at-bat.
Nearly the same situation played out in the following inning as the Green and White answered two Cougars' runs with a pair of its own to make it a 3-3 score. WSU scored its runs on a pair of RBI triples, while the Eagles got an RBI double from John Rubino and a run-scoring single off the bat of Lee Longo.
A bone-chilling breeze did little to cool down Washington State's bats in the bottom of the third inning as the Cougars sent nine men to the plate and tacked on five runs for an 8-3 advantage. WSU turned in a five-hit frame and benefited from a Nick Rotola fielding error at second base for a pair of unearned markers.
The Eagles would not get back on the scoreboard until the fifth inning, when Russell crossed home plate on an RBI double from Sam Ott. Ott made it as far as third base, but was stranded there as the score stood at 8-4.
Over the final four innings, EMU posted several scoring chances but was unable to claw its way back into the game despite WSU reliever Sean Hartnett issuing five free passes over 3.1 innings of work.
Game Two
The nightcap resulted in a pair of masterful pitching performances from starting pitchers Lewis and Pistorese. Neither starter earned a decision, however, as Washington State scored the game's only run in the bottom of the ninth inning against freshman lefty Devon Bronson (0-1) for the 1-0 win.
Lewis scattered four hits over seven innings and sprinkled in a trio of strikeouts. Pistorese also tallied three punch-outs and tossed eight innings of six-hit baseball. WSU reliever Kellen Camus (1-0) earned the win after pitching a spotless ninth inning.
Unlike in game one, offense of any kind was at a premium in the second contest as both sides managed just six hits apiece. Longo was the only player on either team to earn a multiple-hit game with a 2-for-4 showing.
EMU's first scoring threat came in the fourth inning, when Longo looped a one-out double down the left-field line. The EMU designated hitter would end up being cut down at third base on a fielder's choice. In the bottom of that frame, Jason Monda reached third base on a throwing error, but Lewis fooled PJ Jones for strike three to end the inning and leave Monda stranded.
In the eighth, Dae Bowden led off with a single. Marquise Gill then put a ball in play which was mishandled by Pistorese. That put two on with nobody out. A Russell sacrifice bunt put the Eagles' potential first run just 90 feet away, but John Rubino fouled out and Ott flied out to center and the game remained scoreless.
With the departure of Lewis, Head Coach Jay Alexander threw the youngster Bronson into the fire for the bottom of the eighth. Bronson retired batters 8-9-1 in order with a strikeout.
It would again be up to Bronson to face the heart of the Cougars' order in the ninth. Nick Tanielu led off with a single and Yale Rosen was intentionally walked two batters later to put two on with one out. Jones then stepped up to bat and delivered the game-winning double to left-center.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Chleborad, T (1-1)
L: Butara, Neil (0-2)
S: Camus, K (1)
Batting:
2B: Rubino, John 1 ; Ott, Sam 1
3B: Simpson, Jamie 1
RBI: Rubino, John 1 ; Ott, Sam 1 ; Longo, Lee 1 ; McGeein, Mitchell 1
SF: McGeein, Mitchell 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Russell, Daniel 2 ; Rubino, John 1 ; Simpson, Jamie 1
SB: Rotola, Nick 1
HBP: Rotola, Nick 1
Batting:
2B: Tanielu, N 1 ; Jones, PJ 1 ; Jacobs, B 1
3B: Stemp, T 1 ; Tanielu, N 2
RBI: Stemp, T 1 ; Tanielu, N 2 ; Rosen, Y 1 ; Jones, PJ 1 ; Nelubowich,A 1 ; Jacobs, B 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Stemp, T 2 ; Tanielu, N 1 ; Rosen, Y 1 ; Jones, PJ 1 ; Nelubowich,A 1 ; Jacobs, B 1 ; Roberts, B 1
SB: Stemp, T 1
CS: Jones, PJ 1 ; Tam Sing, T 1
HBP: Monda, J 1 ; Tam Sing, T 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Drew Beckner's Comments After BGSU Win in MAC Tournament
Friday, May 23
Robbie Britt's Comments After MAC Tournament Win over BGSU
Friday, May 23
EMU Stuns BGSU for First Postseason Win Since 2017
Friday, May 23
Baseball 2025 MAC Tournament Practice Day Recap
Wednesday, May 21