Eagles Take Long Way in 15-10 Thumping of Michigan

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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – A rain-soaked, three-hour, fifty-two minute contest ended on a bright note for the Eastern Michigan University baseball team, which won a fourth-straight home game, 15-10, over the University of Michigan Tuesday evening, April 23. The Eagles (19-18; 8-7 MAC) dropped the Wolverines (22-17) for a fifth straight time dating back to 2011 and have moved past the .500 mark for the first time this season.

The game began with Michigan scoring four runs in the first inning. The Eagles answered right back with four of their own in the bottom of the first and busted out for five more in the second to take a 9-5 lead. EMU never relinquished that lead, scoring four more times in the sixth inning of a game which saw a total of 25 runs, 23 hits, 18 walks, 15 stolen bases and 387 pitches.

Tuesday's game was Eastern Michigan's longest of the season by 39 minutes, surpassing the previous high of 3:13 in Bowling Green, April 6. For Michigan, it was the most runs the squad had allowed all season—one higher than the previous plateau of 14.

Each of the nine offensive players in Head Coach Jay Alexander's lineup had at least one hit on the evening including Adam Sonabend, who led the way with a 3-for-5, two-RBI effort. Daniel Russell (2-for-4) provided speed on the basepaths with a trio of stolen bases.

Sam Ott (2-for-3) and Jamie Simpson (1-for-3) each chimed in with their third triple of the season. As a team, the Eagles have now hit 18 triples. Ott, Sonabend and Tony DiLeo (1-for-5) also recorded a double apiece.

Joe Battistelli (2-4) pitched three solid innings in relief of starter Ryan Lavoie, giving up just one earned run (three runs total) and striking out a pair. Michael Marsinek, Taylor Dimmerling and Neil Butara also pitched scoreless baseball for the Green and White.

UM was successful on 12-of-13 steal attempts Tuesday, with Patrick Biondi swiping a staggering six bases. Biondi went 2-for-4 and a pair of walks, while Cole Martin (2-for-4) was the only other Wolverine to post multiple hits. Martin also had a game-best three RBI. Staring pitcher James Borque (4-5) took the loss, giving up six runs in one-plus innings of work.

Walks plagued Lavoie to begin the game as the right hander put the first two batters of the game on base via the free pass. A double steal allowed an O'Neill chopper to first base to score Biondi from third base and Michigan took the lead. A Jacob Cronenworth sacrifice lineout then made it a 2-0 game for the Maize and Blue. Martin then posted a two-RBI single to cap off a four-run inning for the visitors.

The Eagles charged up their offense to tie the game at four in the bottom half of a first inning which would ultimately last close to 45 minutes total. A stolen base for Russell got the senior speedster into scoring position and an Ott double drove him in for the first run. Lee Longo followed with an RBI single and the UM lead was down to a pair, 4-2. Back-to-back walks then loaded the bases with Eagles. DiLeo notched an RBI on a dribbler in the infield and a wild pitch scored Simpson to tie the contest, 4-4.

After Michigan took a 5-4 lead in the second on a throwing error by Battistelli, the Eagles put runner at the corners with nobody out. John Rubino, the runner at first, got caught up in a rundown. In the meantime, Russell took off from third base toward home plate. A throw home arrived late and Russell slid in safely for his third stolen base of the day as Rubino trotted back to first.

The Green and White took its first lead of the day, 6-5, when Ott hit a triple to straight-away centerfield and scored Rubino. It became a two-run game as Longo hit a foul sacrifice fly to score Ott. Still in the second, Simpson teed off with the Eagles' second triple of the frame. Dae Bowden cashed him in with the fourth hit of the inning and DiLeo made it five with an RBI double.

By the time the second inning ended, EMU had scored five times and had taken a 9-5 lead.

Four straight walks in the third resulted in a bases-loaded situation for Longo, who roped a two-RBI double down the left-field line. Matt Ogden finished the inning off with a pair of strikeouts, but not before EMU pulled further ahead, 11-5.

Michigan got two back in the fourth and cut the EMU lead to 11-7. Michael O'Neill hit an RBI groundout to shortstop and then scored unearned as the result of a Marquise Gill fielding error.

A single and two walks loaded the sacks with Eagles again in the sixth. With one out, Gill slapped a two-RBI, opposite-field base hit. Rubino then grounded out for an RBI and Gill scored on a wild pitch to cap off a four-run inning and give EMU a commanding 15-7 lead.

The Wolverines added another pair of runs in the seventh and one in the ninth to make it a 15-10 game, but the pitching duo of Butara and Kristian Calibuso limited the damage carried the Eagles the rest of the way to a fifth straight win over Michigan.

The Eagles are back on the diamond, Friday-Sunday, April 26-28, against Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Mich.

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Team Stats

Adam Sonabend

Daniel Russell

Sam Ott

John Rubino

Eastern Michigan Athletics