Eagles Post Ninth Inning Comeback to Down Bearcats, 7-3

CINCINNATI, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – Trailing 3-1 in the ninth inning, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team scored six runs in its final at-bat to topple the University of Cincinnati, 7-3, Saturday, March 9, at Marge Schott Stadium. The Eagles (5-9) clinched their first series victory of the 2013 campaign with a second-straight triumph over the Bearcats (4-7).

The two squads played to a 1-1 tie through seven innings, but Cincinnati scored two in the bottom of the eighth to take a 3-1 lead. In the top of the ninth, the Green and White sent 12 men to the plate and turned a two-run deficit into a four-run advantage.

Joe Battistelli (1-1) picked up his first win of the season after pitching two innings in relief of starter Brian Hill. The Allen Park, Mich. native allowed an earned run and struck out three while walking two.

Hill and Cincinnati starter Connor Walsh engaged in a pitcher's duel, with Hill going seven innings and giving up a pair of earned runs on nine hits. He also struck out three and walked a trio of Bearcats' hitters. Walsh surrendered one earned run on five hits to go along with a walk and five punchouts.

Jamie Simpson (2-for-3) knocked in the game-winning run and was one-of-four EMU players to record a multi-hit game. Dae Bowden went 2-for-6 with two RBI and his first double of the season. Sam Ott was 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored and Mitchell McGeein (2-for-3) posted a two-hit outing for a second straight game.

Marquise Gill came through with a big two-RBI single in the ninth to add some insurance runs and Daniel Russell went 1-for-2 while walking twice, scoring one run and stealing a base.

Bryan Chenoweth (1-1) took the loss Saturday after giving up the game's final three runs. He allowed four hits in 1.2 innings on the mound. Offensively, the Bearcats received solid outings from Justin Glass (4-for-5), Jeff Murray (2-for-3) and Woody Wallace (2-for-4).

The game's first scoring threats occurred in the third inning, when McGeein advanced to third on a Russell sacrifice bunt. Bowden later struck out to end the inning. UC then put a runner on third base in the bottom of the frame, but Hill retired the side on a fly ball to center.

UC broke through for a 1-0 lead in the sixth after a walk and a single put runners at first and second with no outs. Glass then stepped up and sent a single up the middle to plate Forrest Perron.

Eastern Michigan knotted the score at one in the seventh. Gill came in to pinch run for McGeein, who led the inning off with a single. He eventually came around to score on a Bowden two-bagger to left field.

The tie was broken in the bottom of the eighth. Cincinnati used an RBI single from Murray and an RBI groundout by Wallace to take a 3-1 lead with just three defensive outs needed to record the victory.

Cincinnati's good vibes did not last long into the ninth inning as Nick Rotola singled and Russell doubled to start things off. Rotola then scored the inning's first run on a wild pitch and Bowden singled in Russell to tie the contest at three apiece.

From that point, EMU's big inning was underway. Simpson plated Bowden for what would ultimately be the winning run. John Rubino then laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Ott and Gill followed by driving home Simpson and Adam Sonabend to cap off the scoring.

In the bottom of the ninth, UC put a pair of runners on base, but Battistelli shut the door as EMU walked away 7-3 winners.

The Eagles go for the series sweep Sunday, March 10, beginning at 1 p.m.

Next Event

Team Stats

Dae Bowden

Sam Ott

Jamie Simpson

Mitchell McGeein

Eastern Michigan Athletics