Baseball Drops Home Opener to Akron, 6-2

Photo Gallery

YPSILANITI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team welcomed the first day of spring and the University of Akron to Oestrike Stadium for the 2015 home-opener Friday afternoon, March 20. The game was also the first Mid-American Conference team for both teams as the Zips claimed the first game of a three-game set, 6-2.

The Eagles scored a pair of runs on eight hits in the contest, with the top of the order doing the most damage. Austin Wilson (Valrico, Fla.-Bloomingdale Sr.) and John Rubino (Scottsdale, Ariz.-Horizon) led the way with two hits apiece while they both scored a run in the contest as well. Jordan Peterson (Gilbert, Ariz.-Highland (Chandler-Gilbert C.C.)) and Mitchell McGeein (Calgary, Alberta-Vauxhall) each went 1-for-4 at the plate with one RBI in the loss. Akron was paced offensively by Joey Havrilak and Dom Iero, who each finished with three hits. Iero knocked in three runs of the six runs for the Zips.

Ryan Lavoie (Sterling Heights, Mich.-Stevenson) got the start for the Green and White and was saddled with the loss. Lavoie (1-3) pitched 2.1 innings giving up five runs on seven hits. Junior Augie Gallardo (Hemet, Calif.-Hemet (Mt. San Jacinto College)) was solid out of the pen for the Eagles, tossing 5.1 innings while only giving up one run on three hits. Gallardo struck out a season-high six batters in relief. John Valek (3-1) went the distance for the Zips, giving up a pair of runs on eight hits while punching out four batters.

The Eagles jumped on the board in the bottom of the first to grab a 1-0 advantage. Rubino laced a one-out single into left center field to get things rolling for the Green and White. Following a Peterson pop out, McGeein roped a two-out double over the center fielder's head to bring in Rubino to take the early lead.

Akron responded in the ensuing inning, taking advantage of an errant pickoff throw from Lavoie to move Kris Simonton up to third after he led off the frame with a single. Simonton touched home after Iero singled up the middle to knot the score at one run apiece.

The Zips busted through for four runs in top of the third inning on five singles. Head Coach Mark Van Ameyde went to the pen and brought in Gallardo after Iero's two-run single and Rohan's RBI base knock made the score 5-1 in the Zips' favor. Gallardo was able to work out of the jam to keep the Eagles deficit at four.

After the teams went scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings, the Green and White cut into the Akron lead in the bottom of the sixth. Wilson led off the frame with a double into the left center field gap and advanced to third on Rubino's single in the next at bat. Peterson kept the rally alive with another double into center field to bring in Wilson and trim the deficit to 5-2. Following some confusion on the base path for the Green and White, the Eagles were not able to push across any more runs in the inning.

The Zips tacked on an insurance run in the top of the eighth to extend their lead, 6-2. EMU was unable to get anything going in their half of the eighth and ninth against Valek, as Akron held on for the four-run victory.

Eastern Michigan and Akron will continue the series tomorrow afternoon, March 21, at Oestrike Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Next Event

Team Stats

Austin Wilson

John Rubino

Jordan Peterson

Mitchell McGeein

Players Mentioned

Augie Gallardo

Ryan Lavoie

Mitchell McGeein

Jordan Peterson

John Rubino

Austin Wilson

Players Mentioned

Augie Gallardo

Ryan Lavoie

Mitchell McGeein

Jordan Peterson

John Rubino

Austin Wilson

Eastern Michigan Athletics