Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, March 9
Huntington, W. Va.
10 a.m.
Eastern Michigan University
2-10-1
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Marshall
6-5
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Eastern Michigan
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Marshall
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Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
Fast Starts Slowed: Baseball Drops Series Opening Doubleheader
3/9/2019 5:07:00 PM | Baseball
Granzotto tosses strong game one; Timko stays hot with three-run home run
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. (EMUEagles.com) - After a Friday filled with freezing rain and bitter weather in West Virginia, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team finally opened its four-game set at Marshall with a doubleheader Saturday, March 9. Despite strong offensive starts in both seven-inning contests, Eastern was unable to earn a win, dropping both games of the double-dip. The two-game Saturday set saw the Eagles overpowered 6-1 in the series opener, before falling in the afternoon matinee, 8-5.
EMU (2-11-1) showed offensive focus early on in both games, before defensive struggles forced the Eagles to attempt late-game heroics. In the early game, EMU led 1-0 midway through the second inning. Although establishing the early advantage, Marshall secured a two-run third inning. Never looking back, the Herd would tally six unanswered runs en route to a game one victory.
The scene was similar in the second game, where although the Eagles built a 2-0 lead midway through the first inning, they eventually fell behind 7-3 in the third inning. Despite a three-run home run in the fifth to bring the game within two, 7-5, EMU was unable to muster enough offense to complete the comeback, eventually dropping game two, 8-5.
GAME ONE: Marshall 6, Eastern Michigan 1
Game one saw early offense quickly slow, as the Eagles were unable to spark the bats after the second inning. While an early-game RBI single of the bat of Zachary Owings (Saline, Mich.-Saline) established a 1-0 lead for EMU, The Eagles failed to score again, giving up six runs in a lopsided 6-1 setback.
Despite a challenging game for the pitching staff, which gave up six runs on 11 hits, sophomore left-hander Scott Granzotto (Northville, Mich.-Gabriel Richard) again looked strong for EMU, pitching 4.2 innings, giving up six hits and just two earned runs for Eastern. Granzotto knifed four Marshall batters via strikeout, and allowed just one free pass in his effort.
Although unable to string together multiple runs, the Eagle offense showed signs of a soon-to-come breakthrough. In addition to his second inning RBI single, Owings added a second hit in the game, going two-for-three, and drawing a walk in the game one effort. EMU saw hits from four players in all, as freshman Taylor Hopkins (Mason, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller), sophomore Nate Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview), and junior Devin Hager (Commerce Twp., Mich.-Walled Lake Northern) all contributed to the Eagle offense in the series opener.
Despite a solid effort from Granzotto, the Eagles offense was unable to add to their early inning start, eventually falling 6-1.
GAME TWO: Marshall 8, Eastern Michigan 5
The second game saw a more exciting atmosphere than the series opener. While Eastern established an early 2-0 lead, taking advantage of a Marshall error and slapping a first-inning RBI single, the lead was quickly relinquished, as the Herd scored four in the next frame, eventually scoring eight to hand Eastern its second loss of the day, 8-5.
Shook by the strong offense of Marshall, the Eagles gave up double digit hits (10) in its game two loss, forcing EMU to play comeback throughout the game. Within the defensive hardships, however, were a number of positive takeaways for EMU. Coming in for the final 1.2 innings, senior Mitchell Sparks (Willis, Texas-Carmel (Ind.)(Iowa Lakes C.C.)) was impressive on the mound for EMU. Sparks recorded five outs in just 25 pitches,allowing just one hit and no runs in his effort. Saturday marks Sparks' second consecutive strong appearance, as the reliable right-hander gave up just two hits, and no runs during his previous performance, Sunday, March 3, against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Most impressive is Sparks' consistency, as 67 percent of his tosses over his last two performances have been strikes.
Offensively, the Eagles improved in the afternoon contest against The Herd. EMU notched seven hits en route to their five run performance. Leading the effort was redshirt sophomore Jeff Timko (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Brother Rice.) who totaled one hit, three RBI, and two runs scored in the loss. Timko's three RBI and two runs scored were both team highs for the game. Timko's lone hit, a monster home run, was the biggest of the game, as it brought EMU within striking distance, 5-7, in the fifth inning. Junior captain Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) delivered a strong performance at the plate, poking two hits, including a RBI single to give the Eagles the lead, 1-0, in the first inning.
Eastern returns to game action against Marshall University, Sunday, March 10, with a second consecutive double-date against the Thundering Herd. Game one will be a nine-inning contest and is set to begin at 11 a.m., with game two directly following. A decision regarding the length of game two will be made immediately following the conclusion of Sunday's first contest. To stay up-to-date with all the action, make sure to follow on Twitter, @EMU_Baseball, and live stats, at EMUEagles.com.
EMU (2-11-1) showed offensive focus early on in both games, before defensive struggles forced the Eagles to attempt late-game heroics. In the early game, EMU led 1-0 midway through the second inning. Although establishing the early advantage, Marshall secured a two-run third inning. Never looking back, the Herd would tally six unanswered runs en route to a game one victory.
The scene was similar in the second game, where although the Eagles built a 2-0 lead midway through the first inning, they eventually fell behind 7-3 in the third inning. Despite a three-run home run in the fifth to bring the game within two, 7-5, EMU was unable to muster enough offense to complete the comeback, eventually dropping game two, 8-5.
GAME ONE: Marshall 6, Eastern Michigan 1
Game one saw early offense quickly slow, as the Eagles were unable to spark the bats after the second inning. While an early-game RBI single of the bat of Zachary Owings (Saline, Mich.-Saline) established a 1-0 lead for EMU, The Eagles failed to score again, giving up six runs in a lopsided 6-1 setback.
Despite a challenging game for the pitching staff, which gave up six runs on 11 hits, sophomore left-hander Scott Granzotto (Northville, Mich.-Gabriel Richard) again looked strong for EMU, pitching 4.2 innings, giving up six hits and just two earned runs for Eastern. Granzotto knifed four Marshall batters via strikeout, and allowed just one free pass in his effort.
Although unable to string together multiple runs, the Eagle offense showed signs of a soon-to-come breakthrough. In addition to his second inning RBI single, Owings added a second hit in the game, going two-for-three, and drawing a walk in the game one effort. EMU saw hits from four players in all, as freshman Taylor Hopkins (Mason, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller), sophomore Nate Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview), and junior Devin Hager (Commerce Twp., Mich.-Walled Lake Northern) all contributed to the Eagle offense in the series opener.
Despite a solid effort from Granzotto, the Eagles offense was unable to add to their early inning start, eventually falling 6-1.
GAME TWO: Marshall 8, Eastern Michigan 5
The second game saw a more exciting atmosphere than the series opener. While Eastern established an early 2-0 lead, taking advantage of a Marshall error and slapping a first-inning RBI single, the lead was quickly relinquished, as the Herd scored four in the next frame, eventually scoring eight to hand Eastern its second loss of the day, 8-5.
Shook by the strong offense of Marshall, the Eagles gave up double digit hits (10) in its game two loss, forcing EMU to play comeback throughout the game. Within the defensive hardships, however, were a number of positive takeaways for EMU. Coming in for the final 1.2 innings, senior Mitchell Sparks (Willis, Texas-Carmel (Ind.)(Iowa Lakes C.C.)) was impressive on the mound for EMU. Sparks recorded five outs in just 25 pitches,allowing just one hit and no runs in his effort. Saturday marks Sparks' second consecutive strong appearance, as the reliable right-hander gave up just two hits, and no runs during his previous performance, Sunday, March 3, against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Most impressive is Sparks' consistency, as 67 percent of his tosses over his last two performances have been strikes.
Offensively, the Eagles improved in the afternoon contest against The Herd. EMU notched seven hits en route to their five run performance. Leading the effort was redshirt sophomore Jeff Timko (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Brother Rice.) who totaled one hit, three RBI, and two runs scored in the loss. Timko's three RBI and two runs scored were both team highs for the game. Timko's lone hit, a monster home run, was the biggest of the game, as it brought EMU within striking distance, 5-7, in the fifth inning. Junior captain Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) delivered a strong performance at the plate, poking two hits, including a RBI single to give the Eagles the lead, 1-0, in the first inning.
Eastern returns to game action against Marshall University, Sunday, March 10, with a second consecutive double-date against the Thundering Herd. Game one will be a nine-inning contest and is set to begin at 11 a.m., with game two directly following. A decision regarding the length of game two will be made immediately following the conclusion of Sunday's first contest. To stay up-to-date with all the action, make sure to follow on Twitter, @EMU_Baseball, and live stats, at EMUEagles.com.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: SHAPIRO, Joshua (2-0)
L: Granzotto, Scott (1-2)
S: MURPHY, Patrick (1)
Batting:
2B: Owings, Zachary 1
RBI: Owings, Zachary 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wolanski, Alex 1
HBP: Timko, Jeff 1
PO: Hager, Devin 1
Batting:
2B: HANON, Shane 1
3B: INSKEEP, Zach 1
HR: LINDER, Tucker 1
RBI: RODRIGUEZ, Erik 1 ; HANON, Shane 1 ; INSKEEP, Zach 2 ; PASTRANA, Rey 1 ; LINDER, Tucker 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BLANTON, Geordon 1 ; RODRIGUEZ, Erik 1 ; HANON, Shane 2 ; LINDER, Tucker 1 ; CABRERA, Raul 1
SB: RODRIGUEZ, Erik 1
CS: HANON, Shane 1
HBP: HANON, Shane 1 ; LOVELY, Jaren 1
PO: BLANTON, Geordon 1 ; INSKEEP, Zach 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
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RBI
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RBI
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RBI
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Players Mentioned
LHP
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LHP
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