Eastern Michigan Athletics
Tuesday, March 27
Oestrike Stadium
6 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
6-16
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Youngstown State
5-17
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Youngstown St.
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Eastern Michigan
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Photo by: Steven King/Steve King Studios
EMU Slips Late to Youngstown State, 9-7
3/27/2018 10:44:00 PM | Baseball
John Rensel Jr. and Luke DeVenney homered in the loss
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Despite a strong start on offense, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team fell to Youngstown State University, 9-7, Tuesday, March 27, at Oestrike Stadium.
The Eagles (6-16, 1-2 MAC) had the potential winning run on base in the ninth, but the Green and White's rally came up short as the Penguins (5-17, 3-3 Horizon) escaped with the victory in the first meeting between the two programs since the 2014 campaign.
Freshman Luke McGuire (Shelby Township, Mich.-Stevenson) had a stellar night on the hill, allowing one hit in a career-high 3.1 scoreless innings. At one stage, McGuire retired eight consecutive batters in his fourth career appearance.
EMU matched the Penguins with 10 hits, with three Eagles recording multi-hit games. Junior John Rensel Jr. (Tallmadge, Ohio-Tallmadge) recorded two extra-base hits, going 2-for-5 with a home run, a double, two RBIs, and a run scored. Fellow junior Max Schuemann (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) finished 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, a walk, and a run, while senior Luke DeVenney (Des Moines, Iowa-Dowling Catholic) went 2-for-4 including his second home run of the year.
YSU started the scoring in the top of the first inning, but the Eagles answered with three runs in the bottom of the opening stanza. Freshman Jared Kauffman (Springboro, Ohio-Bishop Fenwick) reached on an error to lead off the frame, and scored when Schuemann ripped a double into the gap in right-center. EMU grabbed its first lead of the night when Rensel Jr. launched a two-run home run to left-center to put the Green and White ahead, 3-1.
After the Penguins tallied a pair of runs in the top of the second, the Eagles responded two of their own in the bottom of the second to recapture the lead. Redshirt junior Alex Wolanski (Naperville, Ill.-Neuqua Valley) started the inning with a four-pitch walk before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt. Junior Cameron Cruz (Chandler, Ariz.-Hamilton (Mesa C.C.)) lined a single into left field to plate Wolanski, and scored when Kauffman grounded a base hit through the left side to give EMU a 5-3 lead.
The back-and-forth affair continued into the top of the third, as YSU sophomore Blaze Glenn sliced a two-run home run down the right field line to knot the score at five. However, the Green and White struck back in the bottom of the third when DeVenney lifted a solo shot over the left field wall to put the Eagles back in front, 6-5.
EMU added to its lead in the bottom of the sixth. With runners on first and second with one out, Rensel Jr. smacked a double to the wall in right-center to plate sophomore Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) and extend the Eagles' lead to 7-5.
The Penguins looked to rally in the top of the ninth, tacking on a run on a fielders' choice to cut the Green and White's lead to 7-6. Down to their final strike, YSU added three more runs to retake the lead, 9-7, heading into the bottom of the ninth.
The Eagles did not go away quietly, as Nick Jones led off the frame with a base hit into shallow right-center before freshman Eli Gora (Cincinnati, Ohio-Anderson) walked to bring the potential winning run to the plate with nobody out. Sophomore Devin Hager (Commerce Township, Mich.-Walled Lake Northern) then reached on a fielders' choice to load the bases, but EMU was unable to push across a run and fell, 9-7.
Eastern Michigan hits the road for its first road Mid-American Conference series of the season at Bowling Green State University, Friday-Sunday, March 30-April 1. The weekend begins with a 3:05 first pitch on Friday.
The Eagles (6-16, 1-2 MAC) had the potential winning run on base in the ninth, but the Green and White's rally came up short as the Penguins (5-17, 3-3 Horizon) escaped with the victory in the first meeting between the two programs since the 2014 campaign.
Freshman Luke McGuire (Shelby Township, Mich.-Stevenson) had a stellar night on the hill, allowing one hit in a career-high 3.1 scoreless innings. At one stage, McGuire retired eight consecutive batters in his fourth career appearance.
EMU matched the Penguins with 10 hits, with three Eagles recording multi-hit games. Junior John Rensel Jr. (Tallmadge, Ohio-Tallmadge) recorded two extra-base hits, going 2-for-5 with a home run, a double, two RBIs, and a run scored. Fellow junior Max Schuemann (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) finished 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, a walk, and a run, while senior Luke DeVenney (Des Moines, Iowa-Dowling Catholic) went 2-for-4 including his second home run of the year.
YSU started the scoring in the top of the first inning, but the Eagles answered with three runs in the bottom of the opening stanza. Freshman Jared Kauffman (Springboro, Ohio-Bishop Fenwick) reached on an error to lead off the frame, and scored when Schuemann ripped a double into the gap in right-center. EMU grabbed its first lead of the night when Rensel Jr. launched a two-run home run to left-center to put the Green and White ahead, 3-1.
After the Penguins tallied a pair of runs in the top of the second, the Eagles responded two of their own in the bottom of the second to recapture the lead. Redshirt junior Alex Wolanski (Naperville, Ill.-Neuqua Valley) started the inning with a four-pitch walk before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt. Junior Cameron Cruz (Chandler, Ariz.-Hamilton (Mesa C.C.)) lined a single into left field to plate Wolanski, and scored when Kauffman grounded a base hit through the left side to give EMU a 5-3 lead.
The back-and-forth affair continued into the top of the third, as YSU sophomore Blaze Glenn sliced a two-run home run down the right field line to knot the score at five. However, the Green and White struck back in the bottom of the third when DeVenney lifted a solo shot over the left field wall to put the Eagles back in front, 6-5.
EMU added to its lead in the bottom of the sixth. With runners on first and second with one out, Rensel Jr. smacked a double to the wall in right-center to plate sophomore Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) and extend the Eagles' lead to 7-5.
The Penguins looked to rally in the top of the ninth, tacking on a run on a fielders' choice to cut the Green and White's lead to 7-6. Down to their final strike, YSU added three more runs to retake the lead, 9-7, heading into the bottom of the ninth.
The Eagles did not go away quietly, as Nick Jones led off the frame with a base hit into shallow right-center before freshman Eli Gora (Cincinnati, Ohio-Anderson) walked to bring the potential winning run to the plate with nobody out. Sophomore Devin Hager (Commerce Township, Mich.-Walled Lake Northern) then reached on a fielders' choice to load the bases, but EMU was unable to push across a run and fell, 9-7.
Eastern Michigan hits the road for its first road Mid-American Conference series of the season at Bowling Green State University, Friday-Sunday, March 30-April 1. The weekend begins with a 3:05 first pitch on Friday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: BRUSTOSKI, Jakob (1-0)
L: House, Thomas (0-2)
S: EARICH, Dalton (1)
Batting:
2B: MASSEY, Nick 1 ; LOPATKA, Zach 1 ; DICKERSON, Drew 1
HR: GLENN, Blaze 1
RBI: GLENN, Blaze 3 ; KENDRICK, Andrew 1 ; LOPATKA, Zach 1 ; DICKERSON, Drew 1 ; TRACE, Austin 1 ; DENNIS, Cody 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MASSEY, Nick 2 ; WEHLER, Jeff 1 ; GLENN, Blaze 2 ; NASONTI, Lucas 1 ; LOPATKA, Zach 2 ; DICKERSON, Drew 1
CS: DENNIS, Cody 1
Batting:
2B: Schuemann, Max 1 ; Rensel Jr., John 1
HR: Rensel Jr., John 1 ; DeVenney, Luke 1
RBI: Kauffman, Jared 1 ; Schuemann, Max 1 ; Rensel Jr., John 2 ; DeVenney, Luke 1 ; Cruz, Cameron 1
SH: Jones, Nick 1 ; Hager, Devin 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Kauffman, Jared 1 ; Schuemann, Max 1 ; Rensel Jr., John 1 ; DeVenney, Luke 1 ; Wolanski, Alex 1 ; Cruz, Cameron 1 ; Jones, Nate 1
SB: Kauffman, Jared 1 ; Schuemann, Max 1
CS: DeVenney, Luke 1
HBP: Timko, Jeff 1 ; Jones, Nick 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
rf/cf
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ BaseballOF/RHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
C/IF
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballIF
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/ Baseball
C
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