Eastern Michigan Athletics
Sunday, March 30
Oestrike Stadium
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
10-13, 0
2
vs
1
Kent State
14-10, 0
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3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Kent State
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
3
0
Eastern Michigan
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
X
2
5
0
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Eagles Win First MAC Game in a Pitchers' Dual at Oestrike Stadium
3/30/2014 3:55:00 PM | Baseball
EMU pitching limited Kent State to three hits in the 2-1 victory Sunday afternoon, March 30
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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Behind some stellar pitching on the mound, the Eastern Michigan University baseball claimed a 2-1 victory over the Kent State University Golden Flashes Sunday afternoon, March 30, at Oestrike Stadium to pick up its first Mid-American Conference win of the season. The Eagles (10-13, 1-5 MAC) used four pitchers to limit Kent State (14-10, 4-2 MAC) to just one run on three hits, giving EMU Head Baseball Coach Jay Alexander a victory on his birthday.
Five different Eagles recorded hits, including Lee Longo who blasted a double to lead off the seventh. The EMU first baseman came around to score the winning run on a RBI groundout by Michael Mioduszewski. Longo also knocked in a run of his own in the bottom of the first. In the field, Eastern was perfect with an error-free ballgame. Second baseman Nick Rotola had a busy day with his glove, tallying six assists to go along with four putouts.
Although he did not get a decision in the contest, EMU redshirt-senior Steve Weber was fantastic in his start for the Green and White. After giving up two hits that led to a run in the top of the first, Weber got back-to-back Golden Flashes to ground out to second base to the end the inning. The tall right-hander found a groove by retiring the side in the next five innings. Exiting after six innings with a line of one run on two hits, Weber closed out his day by sending down 17 straight batters.
Michael Marsinek (2-0) entered the contest in the seventh and continued the streak left by Weber. The southpaw retired the first five Golden Flashes he faced before walking pinch-hitter Curtis Olvey with two outs in the eighth. However, after a stolen base by pinch-runner Jacob Neuschaefer, the sophomore ended the threat by cause a lineout to Rotola at second base. In the ninth, Charlie Land (3) relieved Tyler Russell with a runner on first, forcing a huge double play and a flyout to center to nail down the victory and earn the save.
The top three hitters in the Kent State lineup all recorded one hit apiece, while the EMU arms held the rest of the Golden Flashes to a combined total of 0-for-17 at the dish. For the first time all season, Kent State third baseman Zarley Zalewski did not reach base. The Eagles' pitching held KSU's best hitter in check all series as he went 2-for 13 in three games after entering the weekend with a .463 average that ranked in the top five nationally. Left-hander Brian Clark (2-5) went 6.1 innings, giving up two runs on five hits while striking out four.
The Golden Flashes struck first with a triple and a single off Weber in the opening inning to take a 1-0 lead. However, EMU answered with a run in the bottom half of the first to knot the contest at one. John Rubino walked before stealing second. Austin Wilson played small ball, laying down a perfect bunt to the third base line that allowed him to reach base safely for the bunt single. Following a groundout, Longo brought Rubino in to score on a deep ball to right field for the sacrifice fly.
After each team scored in the first, the game turned into a pitchers' dual as the two starters combined to retire 27 batters in-a-row. The streak finally ended in the bottom of the fifth as Mitchell McGeein singled to center field.
In the bottom of the seventh, Longo doubled to the left center gap to spark the EMU bats. Similar to what Wilson did in the first inning, Adam Sonabend used perfect placement on a bunt to reach first safely and advance Longo to third. With runners on the corners, Mioduszewski got the run across the plate with a ground ball to shortstop in what proved to be the game-winning RBI.
The Eagles were three outs away in the ninth when Russell allowed a bunt single to KSU leadoff hitter Jon Wilson. Coach Alexander elected to go bring in Land to get the save, and the decision paid off. The Wheat Ridge, Colo. native forced a sharply hit ground ball to second as Rotola, Rubino and Longo made the quick turn for a 4-6-3 double play that brought out cheers throughout Oestrike Stadium. Land finished the job as a fly ball to center found the mitt of Wilson to end the ballgame.
EMU will wrap up its five-game homestand by hosting Michigan State University on Tuesday, April 1. The action from Oestrike Stadium will begin at 6 p.m. with the first pitch against the Spartans. The contest will also be the first on the airwaves of Eagle All-Access for the 2014 campaign as Greg Steiner will have the call.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Behind some stellar pitching on the mound, the Eastern Michigan University baseball claimed a 2-1 victory over the Kent State University Golden Flashes Sunday afternoon, March 30, at Oestrike Stadium to pick up its first Mid-American Conference win of the season. The Eagles (10-13, 1-5 MAC) used four pitchers to limit Kent State (14-10, 4-2 MAC) to just one run on three hits, giving EMU Head Baseball Coach Jay Alexander a victory on his birthday.
Five different Eagles recorded hits, including Lee Longo who blasted a double to lead off the seventh. The EMU first baseman came around to score the winning run on a RBI groundout by Michael Mioduszewski. Longo also knocked in a run of his own in the bottom of the first. In the field, Eastern was perfect with an error-free ballgame. Second baseman Nick Rotola had a busy day with his glove, tallying six assists to go along with four putouts.
Although he did not get a decision in the contest, EMU redshirt-senior Steve Weber was fantastic in his start for the Green and White. After giving up two hits that led to a run in the top of the first, Weber got back-to-back Golden Flashes to ground out to second base to the end the inning. The tall right-hander found a groove by retiring the side in the next five innings. Exiting after six innings with a line of one run on two hits, Weber closed out his day by sending down 17 straight batters.
Michael Marsinek (2-0) entered the contest in the seventh and continued the streak left by Weber. The southpaw retired the first five Golden Flashes he faced before walking pinch-hitter Curtis Olvey with two outs in the eighth. However, after a stolen base by pinch-runner Jacob Neuschaefer, the sophomore ended the threat by cause a lineout to Rotola at second base. In the ninth, Charlie Land (3) relieved Tyler Russell with a runner on first, forcing a huge double play and a flyout to center to nail down the victory and earn the save.
The top three hitters in the Kent State lineup all recorded one hit apiece, while the EMU arms held the rest of the Golden Flashes to a combined total of 0-for-17 at the dish. For the first time all season, Kent State third baseman Zarley Zalewski did not reach base. The Eagles' pitching held KSU's best hitter in check all series as he went 2-for 13 in three games after entering the weekend with a .463 average that ranked in the top five nationally. Left-hander Brian Clark (2-5) went 6.1 innings, giving up two runs on five hits while striking out four.
The Golden Flashes struck first with a triple and a single off Weber in the opening inning to take a 1-0 lead. However, EMU answered with a run in the bottom half of the first to knot the contest at one. John Rubino walked before stealing second. Austin Wilson played small ball, laying down a perfect bunt to the third base line that allowed him to reach base safely for the bunt single. Following a groundout, Longo brought Rubino in to score on a deep ball to right field for the sacrifice fly.
After each team scored in the first, the game turned into a pitchers' dual as the two starters combined to retire 27 batters in-a-row. The streak finally ended in the bottom of the fifth as Mitchell McGeein singled to center field.
In the bottom of the seventh, Longo doubled to the left center gap to spark the EMU bats. Similar to what Wilson did in the first inning, Adam Sonabend used perfect placement on a bunt to reach first safely and advance Longo to third. With runners on the corners, Mioduszewski got the run across the plate with a ground ball to shortstop in what proved to be the game-winning RBI.
The Eagles were three outs away in the ninth when Russell allowed a bunt single to KSU leadoff hitter Jon Wilson. Coach Alexander elected to go bring in Land to get the save, and the decision paid off. The Wheat Ridge, Colo. native forced a sharply hit ground ball to second as Rotola, Rubino and Longo made the quick turn for a 4-6-3 double play that brought out cheers throughout Oestrike Stadium. Land finished the job as a fly ball to center found the mitt of Wilson to end the ballgame.
EMU will wrap up its five-game homestand by hosting Michigan State University on Tuesday, April 1. The action from Oestrike Stadium will begin at 6 p.m. with the first pitch against the Spartans. The contest will also be the first on the airwaves of Eagle All-Access for the 2014 campaign as Greg Steiner will have the call.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Marsinek, Michael (2-0)
L: CLARK, Brian (2-5)
S: Land, Charlie (3)
Batting:
3B: MIKLOS, Alex 1
RBI: WAGLER, Justin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MIKLOS, Alex 1
SB: WAGLER, Justin 1 ; NEUSCHAEFER, Jacob 1
Batting:
2B: Longo, Lee 1
RBI: Longo, Lee 1 ; Mioduszewski, Mike 1
SF: Longo, Lee 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rubino, John 1 ; Longo, Lee 1
SB: Rubino, John 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
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