Eagles Fall to In-State Rival Michigan State, 18-16

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Highlights.

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – In a dual that would come down to the final bout of the night, the Eastern Michigan University wrestling squad was unable to pull off a victory over the Spartans of Michigan State University, falling 18-16 at the Convocation Center Friday, Jan. 23.

The Eagles (7-7) and the Spartans (4-7) each nabbed five bout victories, but it was MSU that would come out on top with three extra-point matches compared to EMU's two.

After the Eagles dropped the first bout of the night at 125 lbs., Vincent Pizzuto brought EMU within one, battling back to take a 9-8 decision with 2:08 of riding time. The decision from Pizzuto at 133 lbs. cut the Michigan State deficit to just one as the Spartans grabbed a major decision at 125 lbs.

For the third dual this season, Michael Shaw followed suit with Pizzuto, earning a 6-5 decision over Terry Turner with 1:06 of riding time that would allow EMU to take its first lead of the night over MSU. Eastern Michigan nabbed its third-straight victory by way of the riding time point at 149 lbs. After trailing the majority of the bout, Nick Trimble took the 4-3 lead over Nicholas Barber, but Barber responded with a last second escape to knot the score at 4-4 and notched the 5-4 victory with the riding time point to extend EMU's lead to 9-4 heading into the 157 lb. bout.

Redshirt-senior Brandon Zeerip dominated the match at 157 lbs., earning the Eagles' first extra-point victory of the night. The Fremont, Mich. native secured six takedowns and one escape as well as 2:50 of riding time to nab an 18-5 major decision over Kaelan Richards. The Spartans responded with a major decision of their own when Roger Wildmo earned a 12-4 victory at 165 lbs. to put MSU within five of the Green and White with four bouts remaining.

True freshman Kayne MacCallum made his return to the mat after incurring an injury early in the season to represent EMU in the 174 lb. weight class. MacCallum earned the only point of the first two periods with an escape before the score was knotted at 2-2 with a Nick Proctor takedown followed up with a MacCallum escape. With both grapplers looking for the winning points, Proctor nabbed what would be a controversial takedown to take the 4-2 decision over MacCallum as Michigan State trailed by two, 13-11, heading into the 184 lb. weight class.

A shut out victory for John Rizqallah at 184 lbs. handed Michigan State its first lead since the 125 lb. bout before Anthony Abro responded with a win for the Eagles at 197 lbs. The redshirt-junior notched a takedown on the edge of the mat with 20 seconds left in the bout to take the 3-1 decision and put the Eagles back on top for a winner-take-all heavyweight match.

Despite his best efforts, Gage Hutchison could not hold off MSU's Chris Nash, falling in a 17-5 major decision that would allow Michigan State to take an 18-16 victory back to East Lansing.

Eastern Michigan wrestling will hit the road for two Mid-American Conference duals. The Eagles will first travel to Kent, Ohio to close out the month of January with a dual against the Golden Flashes of Kent State, Jan. 30 before traveling to DeKalb, Ill. to take on the Northern Illinois Huskies, Feb. 6.

Results

125: Mitch Rogaliner (MSU) maj. dec. Blake Caudill (EMU), 15-3 (MSU, 4-0)
133: Vincent Pizzuto (EMU) dec. Hermilo Esquivel (MSU), 9-8 (MSU, 4-3)
141: Michael Shaw (EMU) dec. Terry Turner (MSU), 6-5 (EMU, 6-4)
149: Nicholas Barber (EMU) dec. Nick Trimble (MSU), 5-4 (EMU, 9-4)
157: Brandon Zeerip (EMU) maj. dec. Kaelan Richards (MSU), 18-5 (EMU, 13-4)
165: Roger Wildmo (MSU) maj. dec. Devan Marry (EMU), 12-4 (EMU, 13-8)
174: Nick Proctor (MSU) dec. Kayne MacCallum (EMU), 4-2 (EMU, 13-11)
184: John Rizqallah (MSU) dec. Mike Curby (EMU), 3-0 (MSU, 14-13)
197: Anthony Abro (EMU) dec. Nick McDiarmid (MSU), 3-0 (EMU, 16-14)
HWT: Chris Nash (MSU) maj. dec. Gage Hutchison (EMU), 17-5 (MSU, 18-16)

Bout-by-Bout

125: Rogaliner maj. dec. Caudill, 15-3
Rogaliner started off the match with a quick takedown over Caudill, while the EMU grappler struggled to get out from underneath his opponent. After the bout was stopped for the two wrestlers being out-of-bounds, Caudill came within one with an escape in the middle of the mat, but Rogaliner responded with his second takedown of the period. With the final seconds of the first period winding down, Rogaliner earned three final points with a near fall to take a 7-1 lead into the second. Caudill nabbed his second escape point of the bout, but again Rogaliner responded with a takedown to keep the comfortable lead, including insurmountable riding time, heading into the final two minutes of action. Rogaliner used a takedown and a back point to extend his lead to 14-2 with just over a minute left in the match. With 30 seconds remaining, Caudill notched one final escape, but Rogaliner would give MSU the first lead with a 15-3 major decision.

133: Pizzuto dec. Esquivel, 9-8
A minute into the first period, the first points of the bout were earned from Esquivel with a takedown, but Pizzuto responded just seconds later with a takedown of his own to knot the score at 2-2. Esquivel grabbed a second takedown immediately followed by a near fall before Pizzuto escaped to close out the first trailing 7-3. Choosing down to start the second period, Pizzuto quickly grabbed the escape point and came within one with a takedown going into the final period. Pizzuto allowed Esquivel to escape to begin the third, looking to grab a takedown to tie up the bout at 8-8. A takedown that brought the crowd to its feet from Pizzuto tied the score at 8-8 with 30 seconds left, while 2:08 of riding time allowed the redshirt-junior to earn the first dual of the night for the Eagles.

141: Shaw dec. Turner, 6-5
Just like the first two bouts of the night, Michigan State took the first lead with a takedown before Shaw responded with an escape just seconds later. A takedown from Shaw with 32 seconds left in the first gave him a 3-2 lead heading into the second period. Turner knotted the score with one minute left in the second with an escape before the dual was brought back to the middle of the mat following a scuffle on the edge. Choosing down to start the third and holding 1:30 of riding time, Shaw earned the escape point to go up 4-3 over Turner. After being called for stalling, Shaw gave up a takedown to Turner but was able to get an escape to knot the match at 5-5 while still holding the riding time advantage to take the 6-5 victory.

149: Barber dec. Trimble, 5-4
For the first time of the night, Eastern got the first lead of the bout with a takedown from Barber while building riding time early in the first period. Trimble earned an escape point on the very edge of the mat to close out the first. Barber chose to start down in the second to notch the escape point and go up 3-1 over Trimble. Looking to score an easy escape point, Trimble chose to start down in the third period to come within point of Barber. With 27 seconds remaining, Trimble took the one-point lead with a takedown but Barber responded with an escape and capped off the match with the riding time point to earn the Eagles third-straight victory.

157: Zeerip maj. dec Richards, 18-5
Zeerip dominated the first period of the bout with two takedowns to and 1:20 of riding time to take a 4-1 lead into the second period. Starting down, Zeerip quickly escaped and followed it up with a takedown to go up 7-1 over Richards. Richards earned a second escape, but again Zeerip followed it up with a takedown to take a 9-2 lead into the final period and 2:04 of riding time. A third escape from Richards brought the score to 9-3 in favor of EMU before Zeerip added his fifth takedown of the bout of the day. With 15 seconds remaining Zeerip nabbed a sixth takedown before cutting Richards lose to earn the escape point. The Eastern grappler nabbed one final takedown along with 2:50 of riding time to earn the 18-5 major decision at the halfway point of the dual.

165: Wildmo maj. dec. Marry, 12-4
Getting caught in a tough position to start the bout, Marry gave up a takedown, which would allow Wildmo to take the first lead of the bout. Marry came within one with an escape late in the first and a takedown to go up 3-2. Wildmo answered with his second takedown of the period to take a slight 4-3 lead into the second period. Immediately, Wildmo secured the escape point before grabbing a third takedown to go up 7-3 over Marry. Grabbing insurmountable riding time in the second, Wildmo notched two takedowns in the opening minute of the final period, while Marry was only able to earn an escape point.

174: Proctor dec. MacCallum, 4-2
Following a scoreless first period, MacCallum chose to start down in the second to earn the first point of the bout with an escape, which would prove to be the only point of the period. Proctor earned his first points of the bout with 40 seconds remaining but MacCallum immediately escaped to knot the score at 2-2. A takedown from Proctor with two seconds left allowed the MSU grappler to notch the 4-2 victory over the true freshman from Eastern.

184: Rizqallah dec. Curby, 3-0
Rizqallah earned the first points of the bout with a two-point reversal in the second period. The takedown in the second proved to be the only points of the bout, while Rizqallah secured the riding time point to shut out Curby for the 3-0 decision and allow MSU to take its first lead since the first bout of the night.

197: Abro dec. McDiarmid, 3-1
McDiarmid took the first points of the bout when he earned an escape after a warning was handed to Abro for stalling in the second period. Abro knotted the match with an escape to start the third period. The two grapplers worked their way to the edge of the mat where Abro earned a takedown with 20 seconds left before riding out the remaining time of the match to earn a 3-1 decision to put control back into the Eagles' hands.

HWT: Nash maj. dec. Hutchison, 17-5
Nash used a first period takedown before Hutchison escape and took the lead with a takedown of his own. Nash responded to the takedown with one of his own, but again Hutchison escaped to knot the match at 4-4. Nash continued to work Hutchison, returning him to the mat for his third takedown of the period before grabbing a fourth takedown and three back points to take an 11-5 lead into the second period. Nast was awarded a point for a Hutchison stall as he continued to build on his lead with a takedown next to the MSU bench. Again, Hutchison was hit with a stalling call, which would bring Nash's advantage to 15-5 with just over a minute remaining before he grabbed one final takedown in the victory.

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Players Mentioned

Anthony Abro

Nick Barber

Blake Caudill

Mike Curby

Gage Hutchison

Kayne MacCallum

Devan Marry

Vincent Pizzuto

Michael Shaw

Brandon Zeerip

Eastern Michigan Athletics