Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, May 11
DeKalb, Ill.
1:05 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
17
at
12
Northern Illinois
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Baseball Wins Slugfest With Northern Illinois, 17-12
5/11/2013 6:50:00 PM | Baseball
EMU Pounds Out a Season-Best 17 Runs in Win Over NIU
DEKALB, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) -- Nine different batters in the Eastern Michigan University baseball team's lineup notched at least one hit against Northern Illinois University as the Eagles took a 17-12 victory in the second of three Mid-American Conference games at Ralph McKinzie Field. With the final tally, the Eagles improve to a record of 23-26 and 10-13 in the league while the West Division leading Huskies fall to 21-27 and 15-8 in MAC action on the season.
Leading the offense was a four-hit, two-RBI day by Adam Sonabend and a three-hit day by both John Rubino and Nick Rotola. The 17 runs by the Eagles were a season-best, as the previous high for the Green and White was 15 against both Northern Kentucky, March 16, and Michigan, April 23.
After being limited to just one run a day earlier, Eastern Michigan pounded out five extra base hits in the five-run victory. Jamie Simpson, Lee Longo and Mitch McGeein each hit home runs on the day, while Sonabend collected a pair of doubles.
After a 4.0 inning start by Joe Battistelli, Neil Butara came on in releif to slow the Huskies' offense to just a run over the next 4.0 innings. Butara moved to 4-5 overall after allowing just three hits and a run while striking out one. Taylor Dimmerling and Michael Marsinek finished off NIU in the ninth inning to preserve the win.
Eight different pitchers worked in the game for Northern Illinois as Jordan Ruckman dropped to 2-8 with the setback. Ruckman gave up nine runs while lasting just 4.2 innings.
Despite the victory, the Eagles still finds themselves on the outside of the MAC Tournament picture in the ninth spot behind Akron. Yesterday NIU, Kent State and Buffalo each clinched berths in the upcoming MAC Tournament, May 22-25. If the season ended tonight, UB would be the number one seed followed by KSU (2), NIU (3), Ball State (4), Miami (5), Bowling Green (6), Toledo (7) and Akron (8).
Northern jumped on the board first with a pair of runs in the second inning. Eastern Michigan responded with a four-spot of its own in the second inning to go on top 4-2. After Longo lined out to open the inning, Sonabend doubled to left field and McGeein homered to left field to knot the contest at 2-all. Rotola and Marquise Gill kept the inning going with a pair of singles. Rotola scored on a throwing error by the catcher and Gill came around on a two-out single by Rubino.
Unphased the Huskies poured on runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to retake the advantage at 7-4.
EMU wielded the lumber in both the fifth and sixth innings, plating five runs in each stanza.
Rubino singled to center to open the fifth and moved up 90 feet on a Sam Ott single up the middle. Following a wildpitch, Sonabend pounded his second double of the afternoon to score both Rubino and Ott to cut the lead to one, 7-6. Sonabend advanced to third on a passed ball and McGeenin walked to put runners on the corners. Austin Wilson then pinch hit for Dae Bowden and he answered with a RBI single to again tie the contest. Rotola drove in McGeein with a single to center field and Wilson came around on a wild pitch to round out the scoring in the frame.
After a quick three-and-out by NIU, Jon Savarise replaced Zach Badgley on the mound. The fourth pitch of the at bat to Simpson cleared the wall in left center for his fourth home run of the season. Ott was then hit by pitch and stole second. Longo then belted his team-leading six home run of the year on a 3-1 count to make it 12-7 in favor of EMU. The onslaught was not over though as EMU added two more in the inning to make it 14-7.
The game remained that way until the ninth when the Eagles added three more insurance runs.
Trying to close it out for EMU, Dimmerling struggled with his control with three walks in the bottom of the ninth as the Huskies closed within five runs. Finally, Marsinek was able to get Alex Klonowski to fly out to left to end the nearly three and a half hour affair.
The series concludes Saturday, May 12, with a Mother's Day contest at 1 p.m. CT.
Leading the offense was a four-hit, two-RBI day by Adam Sonabend and a three-hit day by both John Rubino and Nick Rotola. The 17 runs by the Eagles were a season-best, as the previous high for the Green and White was 15 against both Northern Kentucky, March 16, and Michigan, April 23.
After being limited to just one run a day earlier, Eastern Michigan pounded out five extra base hits in the five-run victory. Jamie Simpson, Lee Longo and Mitch McGeein each hit home runs on the day, while Sonabend collected a pair of doubles.
After a 4.0 inning start by Joe Battistelli, Neil Butara came on in releif to slow the Huskies' offense to just a run over the next 4.0 innings. Butara moved to 4-5 overall after allowing just three hits and a run while striking out one. Taylor Dimmerling and Michael Marsinek finished off NIU in the ninth inning to preserve the win.
Eight different pitchers worked in the game for Northern Illinois as Jordan Ruckman dropped to 2-8 with the setback. Ruckman gave up nine runs while lasting just 4.2 innings.
Despite the victory, the Eagles still finds themselves on the outside of the MAC Tournament picture in the ninth spot behind Akron. Yesterday NIU, Kent State and Buffalo each clinched berths in the upcoming MAC Tournament, May 22-25. If the season ended tonight, UB would be the number one seed followed by KSU (2), NIU (3), Ball State (4), Miami (5), Bowling Green (6), Toledo (7) and Akron (8).
Northern jumped on the board first with a pair of runs in the second inning. Eastern Michigan responded with a four-spot of its own in the second inning to go on top 4-2. After Longo lined out to open the inning, Sonabend doubled to left field and McGeein homered to left field to knot the contest at 2-all. Rotola and Marquise Gill kept the inning going with a pair of singles. Rotola scored on a throwing error by the catcher and Gill came around on a two-out single by Rubino.
Unphased the Huskies poured on runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to retake the advantage at 7-4.
EMU wielded the lumber in both the fifth and sixth innings, plating five runs in each stanza.
Rubino singled to center to open the fifth and moved up 90 feet on a Sam Ott single up the middle. Following a wildpitch, Sonabend pounded his second double of the afternoon to score both Rubino and Ott to cut the lead to one, 7-6. Sonabend advanced to third on a passed ball and McGeenin walked to put runners on the corners. Austin Wilson then pinch hit for Dae Bowden and he answered with a RBI single to again tie the contest. Rotola drove in McGeein with a single to center field and Wilson came around on a wild pitch to round out the scoring in the frame.
After a quick three-and-out by NIU, Jon Savarise replaced Zach Badgley on the mound. The fourth pitch of the at bat to Simpson cleared the wall in left center for his fourth home run of the season. Ott was then hit by pitch and stole second. Longo then belted his team-leading six home run of the year on a 3-1 count to make it 12-7 in favor of EMU. The onslaught was not over though as EMU added two more in the inning to make it 14-7.
The game remained that way until the ninth when the Eagles added three more insurance runs.
Trying to close it out for EMU, Dimmerling struggled with his control with three walks in the bottom of the ninth as the Huskies closed within five runs. Finally, Marsinek was able to get Alex Klonowski to fly out to left to end the nearly three and a half hour affair.
The series concludes Saturday, May 12, with a Mother's Day contest at 1 p.m. CT.
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