Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, March 1
Lexington, Ky.
12 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
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No. 30 Kentucky
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Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
No. 30 Kentucky Claims Doubleheader Over EMU Baseball
3/1/2014 8:25:00 PM | Baseball
The Wildcats took game one, 9-5, before winning the second contest, 13-2
LEXINGTON, Ky. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team dropped a pair of games to the No. 30-ranked University of Kentucky Wildcats, Saturday afternoon, March 1. The Eagles fell, 9-5, in the first nine-inning affair at Cliff Hagan Stadium before the Wildcats took game two, 13-2. The doubleheader setback pushes the Eagles down to a 4-7 record, while Kentucky improves to 9-2 with the series sweep.
Game One: No. 30 Kentucky 9, Eastern Michigan 5
The Green and White led 3-1 before the No. 30-ranked team in the country scored eight unanswered runs to put the game out of reach. EMU recorded five runs on eight hits, taking advantage of one Kentucky error to score four of its runs. Meanwhile, UK used nine hits to score nine times, including a pair of runs on an Eastern error.
Nick Rotola led the EMU bats as the only Eagle to record more than one hit, going 3-for-4 while scoring twice. John Rubino and Lee Longo added one hit and two RBI apiece as well. EMU freshman Tyler Russell made the first start of his collegiate career, pitching 3.1 innings before leaving the game at a 3-3 tie. Devon Bronson (1-2) took the loss by allowing the eventual winning run in just 0.1 inning in the fourth.
UK starting pitcher Chandler Shepherd (2-0) threw eight innings to get the victory, giving up three unearned runs on five hits while striking out six. Left fielder Ka'ai Tom went 2-for-4 with a team-high 3 RBI, while teammates Austin Cousino and A.J. Reed picked up a pair of hits themselves.
Kentucky started the scoring in its second at-bat as Reed singled before coming around to score on a double by Tom. However, the Eagles responded with three runs in the top of the third to take their first lead of the series. Rotola hit a base knock up the middle and advanced to second as Rubino reached on a fielding error by the UK shortstop. Austin Wilson then caught the Wildcats off guard with a bunt down the third base line, loading the bases for Sam Ott. The EMU right fielder knocked in a run after hitting a ground ball to second base that forced Wilson out at second, but plated Rotola. With two outs, Longo broke the tie with double in the left-center field gap that scored Rubino and Ott, giving EMU a 3-1 advantage.
The Wildcats answered in the bottom half of the third with a pair of runs on three hits to knot the game at three. The home team kept piling on the runs, tallying six in the next four innings while keeping Eastern off the scoreboard to build a 9-3 lead through seven innings.
Eastern added a pair of runs in the top of the ninth to bring the final deficit to four, 9-5. Rotola and Mitchell McGeein both singled and later advanced 90 feet on a passed ball. With two runners in scoring position, a Rubino base hit up the middle brought the two Eagles in to score. Nonetheless, Wilson hit the ball on the button but right into the glove of the UK center fielder to end the game.
Game Two: No. 30 Kentucky 13, Eastern Michigan 2
Kentucky didn't allow the Green and White to threaten in game two, retiring the Eagles in order to open the game before putting up three runs in the bottom of the first. The Wildcats scored the first eight runs of the game before EMU put up a run in the sixth inning. Eastern also tallied a run in the eighth.
Longo and Wilson combined to total four of EMU's eight hits as both Eagles recorded two apiece. Longo ripped his conference-leading ninth double while Wilson stole his fifth base of the season. A regular out of the bullpen, Charlie Land (0-2) made the start for the Green and White. The junior college transfer allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits in just two innings of work to take the loss.
UK's bats remained on fire as the Wildcats registered 13 runs on 17 hits. Cousino went 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI, but was bested by teammate Max Kuhn who notched four hits to go along with three runs and three RBI. Reed, the reigning NCAA National Player of the Week, added a two-run home run as part of the four-run third inning.
The Wildcats scored seven runs on eight hits in the first three innings to take advantage early and force Land out of the ballgame. EMU had two runners on with one out in the top of the second to try and cut into the lead, but the two Eagles were left stranded on the base path.
In the top of the sixth, Longo doubled down the left field line and advanced to third on a flyout by McGeein. The senior Eagle came around to score for EMU's first run of the contest after Adam Dennison reached base via a Kentucky error. However, the Wildcats countered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to increase the margin to double digits, 11-1.
Eastern scored its final run in the top of the eighth. Wilson singled before freshman John Montgomery recorded the first hit of his collegiate career, finding a hole in the right side of the infield. Both runners advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch, and McGeein knocked in Wilson after blasting a single between third base and shortstop.
Similar to the end of last weekend, the Eagles will remain in the same state they played their weekend series. The Green and White will make the 64-mile trip east to Morehead, Ky. for a pair of games against Morehead State. The battle of the Eagles takes place March 4-5 with both contests starting at 3 p.m.
Game One: No. 30 Kentucky 9, Eastern Michigan 5
The Green and White led 3-1 before the No. 30-ranked team in the country scored eight unanswered runs to put the game out of reach. EMU recorded five runs on eight hits, taking advantage of one Kentucky error to score four of its runs. Meanwhile, UK used nine hits to score nine times, including a pair of runs on an Eastern error.
Nick Rotola led the EMU bats as the only Eagle to record more than one hit, going 3-for-4 while scoring twice. John Rubino and Lee Longo added one hit and two RBI apiece as well. EMU freshman Tyler Russell made the first start of his collegiate career, pitching 3.1 innings before leaving the game at a 3-3 tie. Devon Bronson (1-2) took the loss by allowing the eventual winning run in just 0.1 inning in the fourth.
UK starting pitcher Chandler Shepherd (2-0) threw eight innings to get the victory, giving up three unearned runs on five hits while striking out six. Left fielder Ka'ai Tom went 2-for-4 with a team-high 3 RBI, while teammates Austin Cousino and A.J. Reed picked up a pair of hits themselves.
Kentucky started the scoring in its second at-bat as Reed singled before coming around to score on a double by Tom. However, the Eagles responded with three runs in the top of the third to take their first lead of the series. Rotola hit a base knock up the middle and advanced to second as Rubino reached on a fielding error by the UK shortstop. Austin Wilson then caught the Wildcats off guard with a bunt down the third base line, loading the bases for Sam Ott. The EMU right fielder knocked in a run after hitting a ground ball to second base that forced Wilson out at second, but plated Rotola. With two outs, Longo broke the tie with double in the left-center field gap that scored Rubino and Ott, giving EMU a 3-1 advantage.
The Wildcats answered in the bottom half of the third with a pair of runs on three hits to knot the game at three. The home team kept piling on the runs, tallying six in the next four innings while keeping Eastern off the scoreboard to build a 9-3 lead through seven innings.
Eastern added a pair of runs in the top of the ninth to bring the final deficit to four, 9-5. Rotola and Mitchell McGeein both singled and later advanced 90 feet on a passed ball. With two runners in scoring position, a Rubino base hit up the middle brought the two Eagles in to score. Nonetheless, Wilson hit the ball on the button but right into the glove of the UK center fielder to end the game.
Game Two: No. 30 Kentucky 13, Eastern Michigan 2
Kentucky didn't allow the Green and White to threaten in game two, retiring the Eagles in order to open the game before putting up three runs in the bottom of the first. The Wildcats scored the first eight runs of the game before EMU put up a run in the sixth inning. Eastern also tallied a run in the eighth.
Longo and Wilson combined to total four of EMU's eight hits as both Eagles recorded two apiece. Longo ripped his conference-leading ninth double while Wilson stole his fifth base of the season. A regular out of the bullpen, Charlie Land (0-2) made the start for the Green and White. The junior college transfer allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits in just two innings of work to take the loss.
UK's bats remained on fire as the Wildcats registered 13 runs on 17 hits. Cousino went 3-for-5 with three runs and three RBI, but was bested by teammate Max Kuhn who notched four hits to go along with three runs and three RBI. Reed, the reigning NCAA National Player of the Week, added a two-run home run as part of the four-run third inning.
The Wildcats scored seven runs on eight hits in the first three innings to take advantage early and force Land out of the ballgame. EMU had two runners on with one out in the top of the second to try and cut into the lead, but the two Eagles were left stranded on the base path.
In the top of the sixth, Longo doubled down the left field line and advanced to third on a flyout by McGeein. The senior Eagle came around to score for EMU's first run of the contest after Adam Dennison reached base via a Kentucky error. However, the Wildcats countered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to increase the margin to double digits, 11-1.
Eastern scored its final run in the top of the eighth. Wilson singled before freshman John Montgomery recorded the first hit of his collegiate career, finding a hole in the right side of the infield. Both runners advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch, and McGeein knocked in Wilson after blasting a single between third base and shortstop.
Similar to the end of last weekend, the Eagles will remain in the same state they played their weekend series. The Green and White will make the 64-mile trip east to Morehead, Ky. for a pair of games against Morehead State. The battle of the Eagles takes place March 4-5 with both contests starting at 3 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: C. Shepherd (2-0)
L: Bronson, Devon (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Longo, Lee 1
RBI: Rubino, John 2 ; Ott, Sam 1 ; Longo, Lee 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Rubino, John 1 ; Ott, Sam 1 ; McGeein, Mitchell 1 ; Rotola, Nick 2
HBP: Longo, Lee 1
Batting:
2B: A.J. Reed 1 ; K. Tom 2
RBI: M. Kuhn 1 ; A.J. Reed 1 ; K. Tom 3 ; M. Thomas 1 ; M. Reida 1 ; S. Wilson 1 ; C. Heady 1
SF: C. Heady 1
Base Running:
RUNS: K. Barrett 1 ; A. Cousino 2 ; M. Kuhn 3 ; A.J. Reed 1 ; K. Tom 1 ; M. Reida 1
SB: K. Barrett 1 ; A. Cousino 1 ; M. Reida 1 ; S. Wilson 1
HBP: A. Cousino 1 ; M. Thomas 1 ; S. Wilson 1
Game Leaders
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