Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, March 17
Macon, Ga.
10 a.m.
Eastern Michigan University
9-10
2
vs
4
Eastern Illinois
13-12
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Eastern Michigan
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
2
6
3
Eastern Illinois
0
0
0
2
2
0
X
4
6
3
Photo by: Jason Roberts/Envision Sports Media
Softball Upended at Mercer Bear Classic
3/17/2017 4:39:00 PM | Softball
EMU led in both games by as many as two, but dropped both contests
MERCER, Ga. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University softball team was upended in back-to-back games on day one of the Mercer Bear Classic, Friday, March 17. EMU led in both games, but eventually fell to Eastern Illinois University, 4-2, and Belmont University, 5-2.
Game #1: Eastern Illinois 4, Eastern Michigan 2
The Eagles matched the Panthers in the hit column, tallying six hits in the game. Four players collected hits for the Green and White, including a pair of two hit performances. Junior Brandice Olmos (Riverside, Calif.-Grand Terrace) notched her fourth multi-hit game of the season, finishing 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored. Freshman Danielle Rico (Moreno Valley, Calif.-Grand Terrace) put forth the first multi-hit game of her career, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
In the circle, errors got the best of junior Trisha Trujillo (Whittier, Calif.-California), as the EMU hurler was tagged for four runs on six hits, with just two runs earned, while striking out one. Despite another strong outing, Trujillo was sacked with the loss, dropping her to 5-5 on the year.
EMU and EIU stranded runners over the first two frames before the Eagles broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third. Senior Taylor Wagner (Marshalltown, Iowa-Marshalltown) drew a one-out walk and Olmos singled, setting Rico up for an RBI opportunity with runners on the corners. Rico put down the suicide squeeze with Wagner charging home from third, giving Eastern Michigan a 1-0 edge. One batter later, sophomore Olivia Logan's (Riverview, Mich.-Riverview) deep fly ball brought Olmos home from third, before Rico was doubled up on the play to end the inning.
After Trujillo sent the Panthers down in order to close out the third, the Eagles went back to work in the fourth, but came up empty as a two-out single and an error were stranded to leave the score, 2-0, in favor of EMU.
Flipping over to the bottom of the fourth, Eastern Illinois leveled the score at two. An error began the inning and a sacrifice bunt put a runner on second with one out. A single, coupled with another EMU miscue and a pair of singles, knotted the score at two through four innings.
EIU plated two more runs on three hits in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead, while the Eagles left three on base over the final three innings, allowing Eastern Illinois to come away with the win.
Game #2: Belmont 5, Eastern Michigan 2
The Eagles outhit the Bruins, 9-7, but it was not enough to register a win in EMU's second game of the day. Eastern Michigan's nine hits were spread out amongst seven players, paced by a pair of two-hit efforts from Wagner and sophomore Lucy Lopez (Bakersfield, Calif.-Stockdale). Wagner went 2-for-4, while Lopez finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Sophomore Nicolle Miranda (Wilmington, Calif.-Port of Los Angeles) went 6.2 innings, striking out four, and scattering seven hits. Miranda allowed a total of four runs, but only three were earned as she fell to 1-2 on the season.
Once again, the Eagles struck first, plating two runs on four hits in the bottom of the third. A two-out double by Lopez was followed up with an RBI single by senior Michelle Kriegshauser (New Lenox, Ill.-Lincoln Way Central), putting EMU in front, 1-0. After a pop out, Olmos and Rico cranked out back-to-back singles to load the bases for Logan. As she has done her entire career, Logan showed patience at the plate, working for a bases loaded walk to double Eastern's lead, before a strikeout ended the inning with the bases juiced.
The fourth inning caused EMU fits again, as Belmont brought two runs across on two hits and an error to wipe out Eastern's lead and knot the score at two.
From there, the Eagles' offense stalled, mustering just two hits over the final three and a half innings, while the Bruins took advantage of opportunities in the top of the seventh. Heading into the final frame even at two, Belmont chased Miranda from the game with two singles to begin the inning. Senior Abbie Minsker (Howell, Mich.-Hartland) entered the game in relief, but two walks and a single brought Miranda back into the game with EMU trailing, 4-2. Miranda forced the first batter she faced into a fly out for the second out of the inning, but an RBI single proved to be the final run of the game as the Bruins knocked off the Eagles, 5-2.
EMU returns to action tomorrow, March 18, for the second day of the Mercer Bear Classic. The Eagles will face tournament host, Mercer University, at 2 p.m., before seeking revenge against Belmont at 6 p.m.
Game #1: Eastern Illinois 4, Eastern Michigan 2
The Eagles matched the Panthers in the hit column, tallying six hits in the game. Four players collected hits for the Green and White, including a pair of two hit performances. Junior Brandice Olmos (Riverside, Calif.-Grand Terrace) notched her fourth multi-hit game of the season, finishing 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored. Freshman Danielle Rico (Moreno Valley, Calif.-Grand Terrace) put forth the first multi-hit game of her career, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
In the circle, errors got the best of junior Trisha Trujillo (Whittier, Calif.-California), as the EMU hurler was tagged for four runs on six hits, with just two runs earned, while striking out one. Despite another strong outing, Trujillo was sacked with the loss, dropping her to 5-5 on the year.
EMU and EIU stranded runners over the first two frames before the Eagles broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third. Senior Taylor Wagner (Marshalltown, Iowa-Marshalltown) drew a one-out walk and Olmos singled, setting Rico up for an RBI opportunity with runners on the corners. Rico put down the suicide squeeze with Wagner charging home from third, giving Eastern Michigan a 1-0 edge. One batter later, sophomore Olivia Logan's (Riverview, Mich.-Riverview) deep fly ball brought Olmos home from third, before Rico was doubled up on the play to end the inning.
After Trujillo sent the Panthers down in order to close out the third, the Eagles went back to work in the fourth, but came up empty as a two-out single and an error were stranded to leave the score, 2-0, in favor of EMU.
Flipping over to the bottom of the fourth, Eastern Illinois leveled the score at two. An error began the inning and a sacrifice bunt put a runner on second with one out. A single, coupled with another EMU miscue and a pair of singles, knotted the score at two through four innings.
EIU plated two more runs on three hits in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead, while the Eagles left three on base over the final three innings, allowing Eastern Illinois to come away with the win.
Game #2: Belmont 5, Eastern Michigan 2
The Eagles outhit the Bruins, 9-7, but it was not enough to register a win in EMU's second game of the day. Eastern Michigan's nine hits were spread out amongst seven players, paced by a pair of two-hit efforts from Wagner and sophomore Lucy Lopez (Bakersfield, Calif.-Stockdale). Wagner went 2-for-4, while Lopez finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Sophomore Nicolle Miranda (Wilmington, Calif.-Port of Los Angeles) went 6.2 innings, striking out four, and scattering seven hits. Miranda allowed a total of four runs, but only three were earned as she fell to 1-2 on the season.
Once again, the Eagles struck first, plating two runs on four hits in the bottom of the third. A two-out double by Lopez was followed up with an RBI single by senior Michelle Kriegshauser (New Lenox, Ill.-Lincoln Way Central), putting EMU in front, 1-0. After a pop out, Olmos and Rico cranked out back-to-back singles to load the bases for Logan. As she has done her entire career, Logan showed patience at the plate, working for a bases loaded walk to double Eastern's lead, before a strikeout ended the inning with the bases juiced.
The fourth inning caused EMU fits again, as Belmont brought two runs across on two hits and an error to wipe out Eastern's lead and knot the score at two.
From there, the Eagles' offense stalled, mustering just two hits over the final three and a half innings, while the Bruins took advantage of opportunities in the top of the seventh. Heading into the final frame even at two, Belmont chased Miranda from the game with two singles to begin the inning. Senior Abbie Minsker (Howell, Mich.-Hartland) entered the game in relief, but two walks and a single brought Miranda back into the game with EMU trailing, 4-2. Miranda forced the first batter she faced into a fly out for the second out of the inning, but an RBI single proved to be the final run of the game as the Bruins knocked off the Eagles, 5-2.
EMU returns to action tomorrow, March 18, for the second day of the Mercer Bear Classic. The Eagles will face tournament host, Mercer University, at 2 p.m., before seeking revenge against Belmont at 6 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: ROGERS (8-4)
L: Trujillo, Trisha (5-5)
S: WIREMAN (2)
Batting:
2B: Olmos, Brandice 1
RBI: Rico, Danielle 1 ; Logan, Olivia 1
SH: Rico, Danielle 1 ; Hostetler, Haley 1
SF: Logan, Olivia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wagner, Taylor 1 ; Olmos, Brandice 1
SB: Peters, Alex 1 ; Schilke, Angel 1
Batting:
RBI: DEVITO 2 ; ROBERTS 1
SH: DAVIS 1 ; DEVITO 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BEAR 1 ; MONAHAN 1 ; DAVIS 1 ; MATCHETT 1
SB: BEAR 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
1B/3B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball2B/SS
/ Softball3B/2B
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballThank You, Team 38
Monday, May 07
Overcoming Adversity: A Lauren Holdsworth Feature
Saturday, February 24
Closing Out a Legacy: Michelle Kriegshauser
Thursday, May 18
EMU Softball Signs Alyssa Feiler
Saturday, March 25