Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
16-26
Michigan
27-13
Eagles Can't Overcome Early Deficit Against Michigan
5/2/2018 7:57:00 PM | Baseball
UM's seven-run fifth inning was the difference
Eastern was able to collect 10 hits on the day, led by a career-high four-hit output from freshman Jared Kauffman (Springboro, Ohio-Bishop Fenwick), including two RBIs. Fellow freshman Nate Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) extended his hitting streak to 16 games on an infield single in the ninth. Finally, another freshman, Shane Easter (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Comstock) tallied a two-hit day, his third of the season.
On the mound, freshman Scott Granzotto (Northville, Mich.-Gabriel Richard) extended his scoreless inning streak to 14 after putting up four blank innings in his first career start. In relief, sophomore John Holt (Saline, Mich.-Saline) also had a scoreless outing, tossing 2.2 with just one hit allowed and two strikeouts. He now has no earned runs allowed in 6.2 innings pitched this season.
The first four innings went by quick, as both pitchers mowed down their respective batters. Granzotto went the first four, only allowing two hits with two strikeouts.
The game unraveled in the fifth, as UM struck for seven runs and eight hits to uncork a 7-0 lead. Three more Wolverine runners came across in the top of the sixth to make it 10-0 into the middle of the inning.
Eastern got on the board in the bottom of the sixth, plating two on a two-RBI single from Kauffman. After a scoreless seventh from Holt, EMU added on two more on RBIs from Nate Jones and junior Max Schuemann (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern), making it 10-4 in the eighth.
Holt continued to shove in the eighth, going 1-2-3, to send it to the bottom of the eighth. There, EMU cut the initial deficit in half on a Michigan error, putting the score at 10-5 into the ninth. Despite the mini comeback, UM scored two more in the top of the ninth to effectively put the game away. EMU put two on in the bottom of the ninth, but they were left stranded, sealing the game.
The Eagles get back into conference play this weekend with a three-game series against in-state rival Central Michigan University. Game one against the Chippewas is set for a 3:05 p.m. first pitch, Friday, May 4.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rennard, Alec (2-2)
L: Allen, Brad (0-5)
Batting:
2B: Nwogu, Jordan 1 ; Clementi, Dominic 1 ; Engelmann, Jonathan 1 ; Nelson, Blake 1 ; Lewis, Miles 2 ; Keener, Brock 1
HR: Clementi, Dominic 1
RBI: Nwogu, Jordan 1 ; Clementi, Dominic 3 ; Engelmann, Jonathan 1 ; Nelson, Blake 2 ; Lewis, Miles 1 ; Keener, Brock 1 ; Pollack, Logan 1 ; Kerr, Jimmy 1
SH: Blomgren, Jack 1 ; Kerr, Jimmy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nwogu, Jordan 2 ; Clementi, Dominic 2 ; Engelmann, Jonathan 1 ; Franklin, Jesse 1 ; Nelson, Blake 1 ; Salter, Harrison 1 ; Lewis, Miles 2 ; Keener, Brock 1 ; Blomgren, Jack 1
SB: Nwogu, Jordan 1 ; Clementi, Dominic 1 ; Lewis, Miles 1 ; Blomgren, Jack 1 ; Kerr, Jimmy 1
Batting:
2B: Owings, Zachary 1 ; Easter, Shane 1
RBI: Jones, Nate 1 ; Schuemann, Max 1 ; Kauffman, Jared 2
SF: Jones, Nate 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Schuemann, Max 1 ; Schenker, Kolton 1 ; Rensel Jr., John 1 ; Hager, Devin 1 ; Easter, Shane 1
HBP: Hager, Devin 1
