Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, March 17
Birmingham, Ala.
5 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
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Samford
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Eastern Michigan
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Samford
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Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
Eagles Lose Series Opener to Samford on Walk Off Home Run
3/17/2017 7:43:00 PM | Baseball
It was EMU's third walk-off loss this season
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team dropped the series opener against Samford University in heartbreaking fashion, falling in the ninth inning, 4-3, on a walk-off home run Friday, March 17 at Joe Lee Griffin Field. It was the third walk-off defeat for the Eagles this season.
EMU (3-14) had the lead into the sixth and the game tied into the ninth before the Bulldogs' (11-6) walk-off homer.
The senior tandem of Sam Delaplane (San Jose, Calif.-Leigh) and Matthew Beaton (Guelph, Ontario-Bishop MacDonnell Catholic) combined to pitch all nine innings. Delaplane took a no decision in his first start of the season, going 5.2 with just three runs and four strikeouts. Beaton meanwhile took the loss after yielding the home run, but was unhittable prior, going 2.1 without giving up a hit and striking out a pair.
On the offensive side, EMU and SU tied in hits with seven. Redshirt senior Marquise Gill (Paw Paw, Mich.-Paw Paw) had a two-hit affair, while freshman Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) had a two-RBI contest with a hit and sacrifice fly. Finally, fellow freshman Drake Peggs (Knightstown, Ind.-Knightstown) tallied an RBI triple, the first of his EMU career.
Both offenses were held hitless through the first two innings before EMU got the offense cooking in the third frame. A leadoff single from freshman Devin Hager (Commerce Township, Mich.-Walled Lake Northern) got things started, and he was quickly advanced to second on a groundout. The next batter, Jones, popped a little flare down the right field line, which dropped in and allowed Hager to score, givin EMU an early 1-0 lead.
The Bulldogs had the immediate response though, tagging the Eagles for two in the bottom of the third on a pair of extra base hits and an RBI groundout, giving SU a 2-1 advantage into the fourth.
After a clean fourth, the freshmen continued to get it done offensively in the fifth. A leadoff base knock from Zachary Owings (Saline, Mich.-Saline) brought up Peggs one batter later. The rookie rocketed a ball to center, which hit the wall on the fly and scooted away for a stand-up RBI triple, the first of his EMU career. The next hitter, Jones, lined a ball to center that was tracked down, but scored Peggs, allowing EMU to regain the 3-2 lead.
After Delaplane got through his fifth inning without further trouble, Samford tied it on a solo home run in the sixth. After two more runners reached base, Beaton got the call from the pen and registered the inning ending strikeout to maintain the tie into the seventh.
Beaton went the next two, only allowing one base runner on a walk. EMU's offense stalled though, maintaining the tie into the ninth. The first batter of the ninth for the Bulldogs ended up going yard for the walk-off loss, 4-3.
The weekend set continues tomorrow, March 18, with a 3 p.m. pitch from Joe Lee Griffin Field, where the Eagles look to even up the series.
EMU (3-14) had the lead into the sixth and the game tied into the ninth before the Bulldogs' (11-6) walk-off homer.
The senior tandem of Sam Delaplane (San Jose, Calif.-Leigh) and Matthew Beaton (Guelph, Ontario-Bishop MacDonnell Catholic) combined to pitch all nine innings. Delaplane took a no decision in his first start of the season, going 5.2 with just three runs and four strikeouts. Beaton meanwhile took the loss after yielding the home run, but was unhittable prior, going 2.1 without giving up a hit and striking out a pair.
On the offensive side, EMU and SU tied in hits with seven. Redshirt senior Marquise Gill (Paw Paw, Mich.-Paw Paw) had a two-hit affair, while freshman Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) had a two-RBI contest with a hit and sacrifice fly. Finally, fellow freshman Drake Peggs (Knightstown, Ind.-Knightstown) tallied an RBI triple, the first of his EMU career.
Both offenses were held hitless through the first two innings before EMU got the offense cooking in the third frame. A leadoff single from freshman Devin Hager (Commerce Township, Mich.-Walled Lake Northern) got things started, and he was quickly advanced to second on a groundout. The next batter, Jones, popped a little flare down the right field line, which dropped in and allowed Hager to score, givin EMU an early 1-0 lead.
The Bulldogs had the immediate response though, tagging the Eagles for two in the bottom of the third on a pair of extra base hits and an RBI groundout, giving SU a 2-1 advantage into the fourth.
After a clean fourth, the freshmen continued to get it done offensively in the fifth. A leadoff base knock from Zachary Owings (Saline, Mich.-Saline) brought up Peggs one batter later. The rookie rocketed a ball to center, which hit the wall on the fly and scooted away for a stand-up RBI triple, the first of his EMU career. The next hitter, Jones, lined a ball to center that was tracked down, but scored Peggs, allowing EMU to regain the 3-2 lead.
After Delaplane got through his fifth inning without further trouble, Samford tied it on a solo home run in the sixth. After two more runners reached base, Beaton got the call from the pen and registered the inning ending strikeout to maintain the tie into the seventh.
Beaton went the next two, only allowing one base runner on a walk. EMU's offense stalled though, maintaining the tie into the ninth. The first batter of the ninth for the Bulldogs ended up going yard for the walk-off loss, 4-3.
The weekend set continues tomorrow, March 18, with a 3 p.m. pitch from Joe Lee Griffin Field, where the Eagles look to even up the series.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wyatt Burns (2-0)
L: Beaton, Matthew (1-2)
Batting:
3B: Peggs, Drake 1
RBI: Peggs, Drake 1 ; Jones, Nick 2
SH: Hager, Devin 1
SF: Jones, Nick 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Owings, Zachary 1 ; Hager, Devin 1 ; Peggs, Drake 1
CS: Peterson, Jordan 1
Batting:
2B: Ayrton Schafer 1
3B: T.J. Dixon 1
HR: Kevin Williams, Jr. 1 ; Jordan Fucci 1
RBI: T.J. Dixon 1 ; Branden Fryman 1 ; Kevin Williams, Jr. 1 ; Jordan Fucci 1
Base Running:
RUNS: T.J. Dixon 1 ; Kevin Williams, Jr. 1 ; Jordan Fucci 1 ; Ayrton Schafer 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
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