Errors Cost Eastern in Extra-Inning Loss to Bowling Green

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – In the sixth extra-inning game of the year, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team suffered an 11-8 setback at the hands of the Bowling Green State University Falcons Wednesday night, April 30, at Oestrike Stadium. The Eagles (16-27) committed five errors that proved costly, leading to four unearned runs in a rare non-conference matchup against the Mid-American Conference foe Falcons (20-20).

Rain poured down on the diamond through the first four innings of the game, but the two teams played through the majority of the downpour. A short delay occurred in the top of the third but only lasted for 10 minutes. The contest lasted 3 hours and 38 minutes, the longest baseball game of the year for the Eastern Michigan baseball team.

EMU scored eight runs on eight hits, while also taking advantage of 13 walks issued by Bowling Green pitching. Each Eagle in the starting lineup walked at least once throughout the night. Sam Ott, John Rubino and Adam Dennison each collected a pair of hits, while Dennison joined teammates Lee Longo and Michael Mioduszewski in notching two RBI apiece. Longo reached base on four occasions, drawing three walks and recording one hit along with scoring one run.

Freshman Tyler Russell pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball before two unearned runs crossed the plate while junior Charlie Land was on the mound. Land threw three innings, striking out three and allowing two hits to go along with the two unearned runs. Pitching for the second consecutive night, freshman Layne Gusler (1-1) took the loss by surrendering three runs (two earned) on one hit and two walks in 0.1 inning of the 10th.

BGSU found 11 runs on 11 hits, while not committing an error throughout the 10-inning contest. Three Falcons recorded two hits each, including T.J. Losby who smacked a two-run homer to go along with scoring three times alongside Jeremy Shay. Trevor Blaylock (2-1) tossed three scoreless innings to pick up the victory on the rubber for the Falcons.

After Shay's two-run blast in the top of the first put Bowling Green on top, the Eagles answered with two runs to tie the ballgame as the first three EMU sluggers tallied hits. Ott doubled to center field to lead off the game on the offensive side for the Green and White. The two-bagger was the 49th of his career, moving into a tie with his teammate, Longo, for the fourth-most in EMU history. Rubino followed with a single through the left side before stealing second to get into scoring position for the RBI machine, Longo. The EMU first baseman brought his fellow Eagles around to score on a bullet to right field, knotting the game at two after one inning of play.

The Falcons added a pair of runs in both the third and the fifth inning to build a four-run lead, 6-2. However, the lead was short-lived as Eastern put a five-spot on the board in the bottom of the fifth to take the one-run advantage, 7-6. EMU was patient at the plate throughout the inning as BGSU pitching walked five batters in-a-row. In addition to the multiple walks, the Eagles added one hit to take their first lead of the game. The lone hit was an infield single by Dennison that scored two Easter baserunners.

EMU added another run in the sixth with its continued patience at the dish. After three walks, Mioduszewski's sacrifice fly scored Ott to double the lead to two, 8-6. Nonetheless, BGSU came back to tie the game two innings later on two hits and a pair of Eastern errors. The two teams would not score for the remainder of regulation, sending the game into extra innings with the contest tied, 8-8.

In the top of the 10th, Bowling Green chalked up three runs on two hits and one error to regain the lead and control of the game. Ott and Longo walked in the bottom of the inning, but Blaylock was able to shut the door on an EMU comeback. Adam Sonabend hit a long fly ball to right field, but it found the mitt of a Falcon for the game's final out.

Eastern will wrap up the week with a three-game set at Western Michigan, May 2-4, in a MAC West showdown. The series against the in-state rival is a big one for the Eagles if they want any chance at making the 2014 MAC Tournament. The first two games are slated to begin at 3 p.m. in Kalamazoo, Mich., while the Sunday contest has first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.

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Team Stats

Sam Ott

John Rubino

Adam Dennison

Lee Longo

Eastern Michigan Athletics