Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, March 10
Stillwater, Okla.
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
4-10
9
at
7
Oklahoma State
8-5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Eastern Michigan
0
0
0
0
3
0
0
5
1
9
15
0
Oklahoma State
0
2
2
0
0
0
1
2
0
7
8
3
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Andrew Mascharka
Eagles Even Series Against Oklahoma State With 9-7 Win
3/10/2018 8:02:00 PM | Baseball
EMU used a five-run eighth inning to secure the victory
STILLWATER, Okla. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team flipped the script, and used a five-run eighth inning to knock off Oklahoma State University, 9-7, Saturday evening, March 10, at Reynolds Stadium. A night after giving up a five spot in the eighth inning itself, EMU (4-10) got its own big late frame to even the three-game series with OSU (8-5).
EMU's offense led the way with 15 hits, its second-highest output of the season. A pair of juniors had three-hit days, led by Max Schuemann (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) who had his ninth multi-hit game of the year. He went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two doubles, while Kolton Schenker (Augusta, Kan.-Augusta (Labette C.C.)) also had two doubles in his 3-for-5 day and an RBI. Redshirt freshman Jeff Timko (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Brother Rice) added two hits and two RBIs as well.
On the mound, a pair of junior relievers allowed for the EMU comeback, with Mitchell Sparks (Willis, Texas-Carmel (Ind.) (Iowa Lakes C.C.)) and Caleb Hester (Coloma, Mich.-Coloma) getting the win and save, respectively. It was Sparks' second win of the year, and Hester's first save. Sparks went two innings in relief, giving up just one run and striking one out, while Hester went the final two, also giving up just one run but striking out four, tying his career-high.
Oklahoma State got a pair of two-run innings in the second and third to lead it 4-0 early in. EMU battled back in the fifth with a three-run frame, bolstered by five straight hits. Freshman Eli Gora (Cincinnati, Ohio-Anderson) led off with his first career base hit, followed by a double by Schenker to put two on. Freshman Jared Kauffman (Springboro, Ohio-Bishop Fenwick) drove the first in on an infield single, followed by a sophomore Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) double to cut the deficit in half.
Schuemann got the third run in with a solid single to center, his second hit, and with no outs, runners were on the corners. Despite the opportunity, Schuemann was caught stealing, and back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat, keeping it a one-run game.
EMU had two prime opportunities after loading the bases in the sixth, and getting a guy onto third in the seventh, but both times they were left stranded to keep the 4-3 score intact into the stretch.
OSU got one back in the bottom half of the seventh, turning a leadoff double into a run on a sacrifice fly. EMU finally capitalized on their copious amounts of base runners in the eighth, tagging the Cowboys for five runs to leap ahead, 8-5.
The bases became loaded with no outs for Nick Jones, who got the first in with a walk. Schuemann had the clutch double right after to drive in two more, giving EMU its first lead of the day, 6-5. With two runners in scoring position, Timko added insurance with a two-RBI single off the pitcher's foot, putting the tally at 8-5.
Oklahoma State trimmed the lead down to one in the eighth with two runs, but Eastern left the bags loaded to keep the one-run advantage into the final frame.
EMU tacked on some insurance in the final inning, as Schenker knocked in the ninth run with an RBI single, sending it to the last of the ninth with a 9-7 score. There, Hester shut the door with a pair of strikeouts to lock up his first save of the season.
The rubber match between EMU and OSU will take place tomorrow, March 11. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
EMU's offense led the way with 15 hits, its second-highest output of the season. A pair of juniors had three-hit days, led by Max Schuemann (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) who had his ninth multi-hit game of the year. He went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two doubles, while Kolton Schenker (Augusta, Kan.-Augusta (Labette C.C.)) also had two doubles in his 3-for-5 day and an RBI. Redshirt freshman Jeff Timko (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Brother Rice) added two hits and two RBIs as well.
On the mound, a pair of junior relievers allowed for the EMU comeback, with Mitchell Sparks (Willis, Texas-Carmel (Ind.) (Iowa Lakes C.C.)) and Caleb Hester (Coloma, Mich.-Coloma) getting the win and save, respectively. It was Sparks' second win of the year, and Hester's first save. Sparks went two innings in relief, giving up just one run and striking one out, while Hester went the final two, also giving up just one run but striking out four, tying his career-high.
Oklahoma State got a pair of two-run innings in the second and third to lead it 4-0 early in. EMU battled back in the fifth with a three-run frame, bolstered by five straight hits. Freshman Eli Gora (Cincinnati, Ohio-Anderson) led off with his first career base hit, followed by a double by Schenker to put two on. Freshman Jared Kauffman (Springboro, Ohio-Bishop Fenwick) drove the first in on an infield single, followed by a sophomore Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) double to cut the deficit in half.
Schuemann got the third run in with a solid single to center, his second hit, and with no outs, runners were on the corners. Despite the opportunity, Schuemann was caught stealing, and back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat, keeping it a one-run game.
EMU had two prime opportunities after loading the bases in the sixth, and getting a guy onto third in the seventh, but both times they were left stranded to keep the 4-3 score intact into the stretch.
OSU got one back in the bottom half of the seventh, turning a leadoff double into a run on a sacrifice fly. EMU finally capitalized on their copious amounts of base runners in the eighth, tagging the Cowboys for five runs to leap ahead, 8-5.
The bases became loaded with no outs for Nick Jones, who got the first in with a walk. Schuemann had the clutch double right after to drive in two more, giving EMU its first lead of the day, 6-5. With two runners in scoring position, Timko added insurance with a two-RBI single off the pitcher's foot, putting the tally at 8-5.
Oklahoma State trimmed the lead down to one in the eighth with two runs, but Eastern left the bags loaded to keep the one-run advantage into the final frame.
EMU tacked on some insurance in the final inning, as Schenker knocked in the ninth run with an RBI single, sending it to the last of the ninth with a 9-7 score. There, Hester shut the door with a pair of strikeouts to lock up his first save of the season.
The rubber match between EMU and OSU will take place tomorrow, March 11. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sparks, Mitchell (2-0)
L: Basso (0-3)
S: Hester, Caleb (1)
Batting:
2B: Jones, Nick 1 ; Schuemann, Max 2 ; Schenker, Kolton 2
RBI: Kauffman, Jared 1 ; Jones, Nick 2 ; Schuemann, Max 3 ; Timko, Jeff 2 ; Schenker, Kolton 1
SH: Easter, Shane 1 ; Gora, Eli 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kauffman, Jared 1 ; Jones, Nick 1 ; Schuemann, Max 1 ; DeVenney, Luke 2 ; Gora, Eli 2 ; Schenker, Kolton 2
SB: Timko, Jeff 1
CS: Schuemann, Max 1
Batting:
2B: Kroon 1 ; Funk 1 ; Taylor 1 ; Boone 1
RBI: Rosa 1 ; Kroon 1 ; Funk 1 ; Taylor 1 ; Gardner 2 ; Neustifter 1
SH: Littell 1 ; Dobbs 1
SF: Rosa 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rosa 1 ; Simpson, C. 1 ; Kroon 1 ; Funk 1 ; Littell 1 ; Taylor 1 ; Boone 1
SB: Rosa 1 ; Boone 1
CS: Funk 1
HBP: Rosa 1 ; Boone 1
PO: Rosa 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
3
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
LHP
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