Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, April 5
Bowling Green, Ohio
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
12-16, 2-5
4
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10
Bowling Green
7-17, 3-4
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9
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Eastern Michigan
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Bowling Green
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Sloppy Defense Costs Eagles 10-4 Decision at Bowling Green
4/5/2013 7:05:00 PM | Baseball
EMU and BGSU combine for 10 errors to open MAC series
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team and Bowling Green State University combined for 10 errors in a 10-4 setback Friday, April 5, at Steller Field. The Eagles (12-16; 2-5 MAC) had a 1-0 lead after half an inning, but the Falcons (7-17; 3-4 MAC) scored 10 runs before EMU scraped together three over the final two frames.
Each club had five errors on the day to set season highs on both sides. EMU's miscues led to four unearned runs in the first inning and erased a 1-0 lead. That forced starting pitcher Neil Butara (2-4) to throw extra pitches which led to him being pulled after 4.2 innings on the bump.
Eastern Michigan's offense did not fare much better for most of the game as the Green and White was three-hit by BGSU's Cody Apthorpe (2-2) through seven innings. EMU finished the game with six knocks.
The bright spot in Friday's game came by way of Daniel Russell's (1-for-5) fourth triple of the season and 15th-career three-bagger, which moves him into a tie for second place all-time at Eastern Michigan. Sam Ott (1-for-4) and John Rubino (0-for-3) were the only Eagles to record an RBI in the contest.
Butara gave way to Michael Marsinek with two down in the fifth after allowing nine runs (five earned) on eight hits. Marsinek allowed four hits over 2.1 innings, but only surrendered one run. Ben Dartnell posted one of his stronger outings of the year in one inning of scoreless work.
Bowling Green was equally as sloppy defensively but balanced it out with 13 hits. All but three Falcons' position players who saw action recorded a hit including Jake Thomas, who earned a 4-for-5, three-RBI day along with a triple. Jeremy Shay turned in a 3-for-5 effort with a double and two RBI.
Fittingly enough, a Bowling Green error started out the game when Russell reached base as a result. He later scored on Ott's sacrifice fly to centerfield. After Butara got the first two out in the bottom of the first, he walked Patrick Lancaster to put a man aboard. T.J. Losby then reached on an error and Matt Pitzulo walked to load the bases. A pair runs came across on a series of mishaps by Rubino at short and two more scored on a Thomas RBI single to make it 4-1 Falcons.
After BGSU took a 7-1 lead with three additional tallies in the third, the Eagles tried to make up some ground in the fourth. Ott led off with a single, took second on a wild pitch and made it to third on a lineout. Apthorpe worked his way out of the mini-jam, however, and the EMU deficit remained six.
Thomas' triple scored Shay and a balk brought home the BGSU centerfielder in the fifth as the home squad widened the gap even further, 9-1. The Eagles had another chance for a big inning in the seventh when Nick Rotola walked to load the sacks. Again, the EMU bats could not come through as Russell flied out to end the frame. The Falcons scored once more in the bottom of the inning for a 10-1 advantage.
EMU was able to capitalize on Bowling Green's continued defensive woes in the eighth. Ott reached on an error at first base and Lee Longo followed with a single. Both runners scored when yet another throwing error from third base resulted in Adam Sonabend reaching second.
Rubino's sacrifice fly in the ninth scored Russell and accounted for the game's final run.
Game two of this three-game sereis is set for Saturday, April 6, at 1 p.m.
Each club had five errors on the day to set season highs on both sides. EMU's miscues led to four unearned runs in the first inning and erased a 1-0 lead. That forced starting pitcher Neil Butara (2-4) to throw extra pitches which led to him being pulled after 4.2 innings on the bump.
Eastern Michigan's offense did not fare much better for most of the game as the Green and White was three-hit by BGSU's Cody Apthorpe (2-2) through seven innings. EMU finished the game with six knocks.
The bright spot in Friday's game came by way of Daniel Russell's (1-for-5) fourth triple of the season and 15th-career three-bagger, which moves him into a tie for second place all-time at Eastern Michigan. Sam Ott (1-for-4) and John Rubino (0-for-3) were the only Eagles to record an RBI in the contest.
Butara gave way to Michael Marsinek with two down in the fifth after allowing nine runs (five earned) on eight hits. Marsinek allowed four hits over 2.1 innings, but only surrendered one run. Ben Dartnell posted one of his stronger outings of the year in one inning of scoreless work.
Bowling Green was equally as sloppy defensively but balanced it out with 13 hits. All but three Falcons' position players who saw action recorded a hit including Jake Thomas, who earned a 4-for-5, three-RBI day along with a triple. Jeremy Shay turned in a 3-for-5 effort with a double and two RBI.
Fittingly enough, a Bowling Green error started out the game when Russell reached base as a result. He later scored on Ott's sacrifice fly to centerfield. After Butara got the first two out in the bottom of the first, he walked Patrick Lancaster to put a man aboard. T.J. Losby then reached on an error and Matt Pitzulo walked to load the bases. A pair runs came across on a series of mishaps by Rubino at short and two more scored on a Thomas RBI single to make it 4-1 Falcons.
After BGSU took a 7-1 lead with three additional tallies in the third, the Eagles tried to make up some ground in the fourth. Ott led off with a single, took second on a wild pitch and made it to third on a lineout. Apthorpe worked his way out of the mini-jam, however, and the EMU deficit remained six.
Thomas' triple scored Shay and a balk brought home the BGSU centerfielder in the fifth as the home squad widened the gap even further, 9-1. The Eagles had another chance for a big inning in the seventh when Nick Rotola walked to load the sacks. Again, the EMU bats could not come through as Russell flied out to end the frame. The Falcons scored once more in the bottom of the inning for a 10-1 advantage.
EMU was able to capitalize on Bowling Green's continued defensive woes in the eighth. Ott reached on an error at first base and Lee Longo followed with a single. Both runners scored when yet another throwing error from third base resulted in Adam Sonabend reaching second.
Rubino's sacrifice fly in the ninth scored Russell and accounted for the game's final run.
Game two of this three-game sereis is set for Saturday, April 6, at 1 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: APTHORPE (2-2)
L: Butara, Neil (2-4)
Batting:
3B: Russell, Daniel 1
RBI: Rubino, John 1 ; Ott, Sam 1
SH: Rubino, John 1
SF: Rubino, John 1 ; Ott, Sam 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Russell, Daniel 2 ; Ott, Sam 1 ; Longo, Lee 1
SB: Simpson, Jamie 1
CS: Rubino, John 1
Batting:
2B: SHAY, J 1
3B: THOMAS 1
RBI: KUBUSKI 1 ; SHAY, J 2 ; THOMAS 3 ; HOWARD 1
Base Running:
RUNS: LANCASTER 1 ; LOSBY 2 ; PITZULO 2 ; SHAY, J 4 ; THOMAS 1
HBP: LOSBY 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
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