Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
5-21-1, 0-5
Miami
20-5, 4-1
Baseball Left Searching for First MAC Win after Saturday Struggle
3/30/2019 5:52:00 PM | Baseball
Nick Jones goes perfect at the plate with four hit effort
Although EMU (5-21-1) went knock-for-knock with Miami in the beginning, the RedHawks were more efficient in their scoring efforts, totaling 13 runs in the contest. Eastern, despite getting a runner on base in eight of nine innings, was unable to match Miami in the Saturday setback.
At the dish, junior captain Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) delivered his best performance of the season, racking up four hits, including two doubles, in his perfect hitting effort. Jones notched EMU's opening hit of the game in the first inning, a single, before adding three additional knocks in the contest.
Eastern, trailing 4-0 after two innings, broke through to score two runs in the third. With one out, Jones put Eastern in scoring position, blasting a double down the left-field line. After sophomore Jared Kauffman (Springboro, Ohio-Bishop Fenwick) drew a walk, sophomore Nate Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) came through with an RBI single, scoring Nick Jones and giving Eastern its first run of the game. Eastern added its second run of the afternoon later in the third when Miami committed a defensive error.
Unable to build momentum, the Eastern offense went scoreless in five of the final six innings, scoring its lone run in the sixth inning. In all, five Eagles tallied a hit for the Green and White. Brothers Nick Jones and Nate Jones completed multi-hit efforts, tallying four, and two hits, respectively.
Defensively, the Eagles struggled to contain the RedHawk offense, allowing 12 hits in the contest. Despite the challenges, senior Jackson Shaver (Grand Rapids, Mich.-Forest Hills Northern (Grand Rapids C.C.)) performed well on the mound. With the bases loaded and zero outs in the second inning, Shaver took the mound with poise, holding Miami to just one run in the inning. Shaver went on to toss 4.2 innings, giving up one earned run and striking out two RedHawk batters in his effort.
In total, four Eagles saw action from the bump. Along with Shaver, redshirt juniors Nick Porretto (Geneva, Ill.-Geneva (McHenry C.C.)) and Caleb Hester (Coloma, Mich.-Coloma), as well as sophomore Thomas House (Ross, Ohio-Ross), contributed on the mound for Eastern.
Although EMU battled for the majority of the game, Miami's offense proved too strong, exploding for eight runs in its final three frames, eventually putting 13 on the board.
Unable to match the Miami bats, Eastern eventually fell in the game, 13-3.
Eastern concludes its three-game weekend series at Miami with a single game, tomorrow, March 31. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. Following its series in Oxford, Eastern returns home, where it will play four-consecutive contests, including a single game against Oakland, April 3, followed by a three-game set against Bowling Green, April 5-7.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: BOSMA, Tyler (2-1)
L: Porretto, Nick (0-3)
Batting:
2B: Jones, Nick 2
RBI: Peggs, Drake 1 ; Jones, Nate 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Owings, Zachary 1 ; Jones, Nick 1 ; Peggs, Drake 1
HBP: Timko, Jeff 1 ; Rensel Jr., John 1 ; Easter, Shane 1
Batting:
2B: ANDREWS, Cole 1 ; ELVERS, Cal 1
RBI: TEJADA, Cristian 1 ; WINKLER, Kyle 1 ; STEPHENS, Landon 1 ; WILLIAMS, Mackay 2 ; VOGELGESANG, Will 1 ; HARRIGAN, Charlie 1 ; ELVERS, Cal 4 ; STEPHENS, Jordan 1
SH: WILLIAMS, Mackay 1
SF: STEPHENS, Landon 1 ; WILLIAMS, Mackay 1 ; ANDREWS, Cole 1 ; HARRIGAN, Charlie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: TEJADA, Cristian 4 ; STEPHENS, Landon 1 ; WILLIAMS, Mackay 2 ; ANDREWS, Cole 1 ; HAMER, Steven 1 ; HARRIGAN, Charlie 1 ; ELVERS, Cal 2 ; STEPHENS, Jordan 1
SB: TEJADA, Cristian 3 ; HAMER, Steven 1
HBP: TEJADA, Cristian 2 ; STEPHENS, Landon 1 ; VOGELGESANG, Will 2 ; ANDREWS, Cole 1 ; ELVERS, Cal 1
