Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
19-28
Dayton
16-29
Baseball Cannot Overcome Early Deficit Versus Dayton
5/9/2018 9:27:00 PM | Baseball
Sophomore Zachary Owings had a four-hit day
EMU (19-28, 11-10 MAC) continued its steady offensive momentum with an 11-hit day, led by a four-hit output from sophomore Zachary Owings (Saline, Mich.-Saline), tying his season and career-high. His fourth hit was the 100th of his EMU career.
Freshman Jared Kauffman (Springboro, Ohio-Bishop Fenwick) had a two-hit day, including a double, while sophomore Devin Hager (Commerce Township, Mich.-Walled Lake Northern) also tallied two hits, including one of two EMU RBIs. Finally, freshman Nate Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a single.
On the mound, senior Brad Allen (Manchester, Mich.-Manchester (Jackson College)) looked like his old self, pitching two innings in relief, and striking out five of six batters faced for a new season-high. Also pitching in relief for his first collegiate appearance was freshman Shane Easter (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Comstock), and he looked sharp, facing the minimum after a caught stealing. Sophomore Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) caught three Flyers (16-29, 6-12 A-10) stealing on the day.
UD jumped all over EMU in the top of the first inning, striking for four runs, including a three-run home run, to take an early 4-0 lead. The Flyers tacked on two more in the third and another in the fourth top open up a 7-0 advantage in the middle of the fourth.
Eastern got on the board in the bottom half of the fourth, using a pair of hits, walks, and hit by pitches to score two. The first run came in on an RBI fielder's choice off the bat of junior Kolton Schenker (Augusta, Kan.-Augusta (Labette C.C.)) with the bags loaded. With the sacks still full, Hager singled up the middle to score the other runner, making it 7-2 through four. The Eagles got another run to cross in the fifth on a UD balk, getting EMU to within four with four to play.
The Green and White continued to chip away in the sixth, getting another run in on a play on the base paths with runners on the corners. The EMU runner broke for second, and Kauffman scampered home on the play, making it 7-4.
Dayton got the run back in the seventh with a pair of hits, putting the deficit back at four with two turns at the plate left. UD added on one more in the top of the ninth to take a 9-4 lead into EMU's final trip to the plate. Despite getting a pair of runners on in the bottom of the ninth, Dayton closed the door, sealing the five-run defeat.
The Eagles get back into action this weekend with a big Mid-American Conference series at MAC-leading Kent State University, May 11-13. Action against the Golden Flashes will begin with a 6 p.m. first pitch, Friday, May 11.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Brus, Jonathan (2-0)
L: Holt, John (0-1)
Batting:
2B: GARRITY, Mitchell 1 ; ECHOLS, Connor 1 ; HAGAN, Tate 1 ; WELLS, Brett 1
HR: TIROTTA, Riley 1
RBI: ECHOLS, Connor 3 ; SMITH, Brandon 2 ; TIROTTA, Riley 4
SF: SMITH, Brandon 1 ; TIROTTA, Riley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: GARRITY, Mitchell 2 ; ECHOLS, Connor 2 ; MEEHAN, Pat 2 ; SMITH, Brandon 1 ; TIROTTA, Riley 1 ; WELLS, Brett 1
SB: GARRITY, Mitchell 1 ; MEEHAN, Pat 3
CS: ECHOLS, Connor 1 ; WELLS, Brett 1 ; YAMADA, Takahiro 1
HBP: SMITH, Brandon 1
PO: SMITH, Brandon 1
Batting:
2B: Kauffman, Jared 1
RBI: Schenker, Kolton 1 ; Hager, Devin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Schuemann, Max 1 ; Owings, Zachary 1 ; Rensel Jr., John 1 ; Kauffman, Jared 1
SB: Owings, Zachary 2
CS: Hager, Devin 1
HBP: Schuemann, Max 1 ; Jones, Nick 1 ; Kauffman, Jared 1
