Eagles Drop Series Opener to Western Michigan, 2-1

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team dropped a hard-fought one-run game to Western Michigan University Friday afternoon, April 3, at Oestrike Stadium. The Broncos (11-13, 4-3 MAC) scored their runs in the first and ninth innings to claim the 2-1 victory over the Eagles (10-18, 2-5 MAC) in the first game of the three-game Mid-American Conference series.

Charlie Land was solid for the third consecutive game but the senior was saddled with the loss. Land (2-4) tossed a career-best 8.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out a season-best seven. Gabe Berman picked up his second victory of the season for the Broncos. Berman (2-2) pitched the final 1.2 innings, not allowing a runner to reach base while striking out one.

The Green and White scored one run on eight hits, leaving seven runners on base. Freshman David Lett was the only Eagle to record multiple hits, going 2-for-3 and scoring the lone run. Jordan Peterson was 1-for-4 and drove in the only run. The Broncos finished with five hits, led by Brett Sunde's two hits. Sunde drove in both runs as well for Western Michigan.

The Broncos jumped on the board in the top of the first inning to grab an early 1-0 lead. Sunde's two-out double down the left field line scored Grant Miller from first base who reached on a lead-off hit by pitch.

EMU knotted the score at one run apiece in the bottom of the third on a fielder's choice off the bat off of Peterson. Peterson knocked in Lett who led off the frame with a single into center field. Lett advanced to second on a fielding error and then moved up 90-feet to third after tagging up on a John Rubino fly out to center.

The teams went relatively quiet in the fourth through seventh innings, combining for six hits. The Eagles put a runner on third with two-outs twice but could not push them across as the game remained tied 1-1 heading into the eighth inning.

Following a leadoff strike out to begin the bottom of the eighth, a Rubino walk and Peterson single into left field forced the Broncos to hit the bullpen once again. Gabe Berman checked in the game and struck out Mitchell McGeein and got Michael Mioduszewski to fly out to center to end the threat and send the game to the ninth inning deadlocked, 1-1.

Land recorded the first two outs in the top of the ninth before walking Kurt Hoekstra, forcing Head Coach Mark Van Ameyde to take out Land after 120 pitches. Head Coach Mark Van Ameyde brought in Sam Delaplane for the second consecutive game to try to keep the game tied heading to the bottom of the ninth. After a wild pitch moved Hoekstra up to second base, Sunde delivered with a two-out single into right to field to score Hoekstra and give the Broncos a 2-1 lead.

Berman remained on the mound for the bottom of the ninth and was able to get the Eagles 1-2-3 to preserve the one-run victory for the Broncos.

The Eagles and Broncos continue the Mid-American Conference series tomorrow afternoon, April 4. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Oestrike Stadium.

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Team Stats

David Lett

John Rubino

Jordan Peterson

Mitchell McGeein

Players Mentioned

Sam Delaplane

Charlie Land

David Lett

Mitchell McGeein

Mike Mioduszewski

Jordan Peterson

John Rubino

Players Mentioned

Sam Delaplane

Charlie Land

David Lett

Mitchell McGeein

Mike Mioduszewski

Jordan Peterson

John Rubino

Eastern Michigan Athletics