Eagles Victorious in Chilly Home Opener, 9-8, Over Northwestern

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – With the temperature a chilly 27 degrees that lasted from the first pitch until the final out, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team used its hot bats to come away with a 9-8 victory over the Northwestern University Wildcats, March 26, at Oestrike Stadium. The Eagles survived a wild ninth inning in which it had to get four outs to end the Northwestern comeback and hold on for the win. The home-opening victory snaps a three-game losing skid for the Green and White (9-11).

EMU racked up nine runs on nine hits, while taking advantage of three Northwestern errors that led to a pair of unearned runs. The top four Eagles in the lineup produced the bulk of the success at the dish, accounting for all eight RBI, seven of the nine hits, and six of the nine runs. Sam Ott and Lee Longo each picked up two hits and three RBI for Eastern as Longo also added a run scored. Austin Wilson scored on three occasions to go along with one hit, one RBI and two walks. Leading off, shortstop John Rubino went 2-for-5, including a triple with two runs and one RBI.

On the mound, freshman Sam Delaplane made his first career start, lasting his two scheduled innings while allowing three runs on four hits. Another freshman, Sterling Sharp (1-1), picked up his the first win of his career by tossing four innings of relief and letting just one run cross the plate. Charlie Land (2) came on in the ninth to get out of a jam as well as the final out of the ballgame, collecting the save.

Northwestern (4-17) saw balanced hitting throughout the day as eight different Wildcats notched a hit to help in the eight-run effort. Catcher Jake Straub reached base all three times he stepped up to the plate, walking twice and smacking a double. He scored a team-best two runs in the setback. Jake Stolley (0-1) took the loss for NU as he lasted just 0.1 innings, giving up two runs (one earned).

The Wildcats wasted no time getting on the board with a pair of runs in the top of the first off Delaplane. A double, triple and sacrifice fly by three straight hitters quickly put Northwestern ahead, 2-0. However, Eastern answered with a run in its first chance at the plate to cut the lead in half. Rubino led off with a single before swiping second base. After Ott advanced his teammate 90 feet on a deep fly to center, Longo brought Rubino in with a lined shot to right center.

The one-run deficit did not last long as NU's Jack Livingston began the second inning with a homer to right field, making it a 3-1 game. Nonetheless, Sharp kept the Wildcats off the scoreboard for three innings, allowing the Green and White to come back and knot the game at three apiece. Longo's ground ball in the bottom of the third scored Wilson, and the EMU first baseman crossed the plate himself in the fifth due to a Northwestern miscue in the field.

After NU broke the 3-3 tie with a run in the top half of the sixth, the Eagles countered with three runs to take their first lead of the contest, 6-4. Ty Gilmore walked to lead off the inning, and Dae Bowden tried to move him to second with a bunt. Stolley made a play on the bunt attempt, trying to throw the lead runner out at second. He made a solid throw, but it was dropped by the second baseman and both runners remained on base. Playing heads-up baseball, the two caught Stolley off guard to pull a double steal. Wilson proceeded to sprint down the line for an infield single that plated Gilmore, and Ott's groundout scored Bowden to give Eastern the lead that it held for the rest of the game. However, the inning was not over; Longo singled to right for the second time in the game, scoring Wilson.

The seventh inning was similar to the sixth as Northwestern put up another run only to be answered by three for the Green and White. In what was a common trend throughout the game, the Eagles got the leadoff hitter on base as Rotola took a free pass. Two batters later, Rubino started a two-out rally with a triple to the gap in right center that scored his fellow middle infielder. Wilson walked before stealing second, putting two ducks on the pond for Ott. As he often does, the veteran right fielder came through in the clutch with a double to his position, knocking in both Eagles to give his team a 9-5 advantage.

With Eastern holding a three-run lead going into the ninth, 9-6, things got a little too close for comfort. Kristian Calibuso got two of the first three NU batters out, but walked back-to-back Wildcats to load the bases. Head Coach Jay Alexander decided to bring in Land to seal the deal. The junior college transfer seemed to have completed the task with a nasty breaking ball that made Northwestern's Matt Hopfner swing at the pitch in the dirt for strike three; however, the ball got away from Tony DiLeo. The EMU catcher tried to make the play at first but threw the ball past Longo, allowing two runs to score. The tying run stood at third while the go-ahead run was at second; nonetheless, Land did not seemed phased by the series of events as he fielded a soft hit down the first base line and threw to Longo just in time for the out, securing the EMU victory.

The Eagles remain at home for the weekend, facing a conference opponent at home for the first time this season. EMU hosts the defending Mid-American Conference regular season champion Kent State University Golden Flashes in a three-game set, March 28-30. The series begins on Friday, March 28, with a 3 p.m. first pitch.

Eagles Victorious in Chilly Home Opener, 9-8, Over Northwestern

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Team Stats

John Rubino

Sam Ott

Lee Longo

Austin Wilson

Eastern Michigan Athletics