Eastern Michigan Athletics
Sunday, May 12
Oestrike Stadium
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
11-40-1, 0
7
vs
8
Central Michigan
39-12, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Central Michigan
0
1
3
0
0
4
0
0
0
8
13
1
Eastern Michigan
1
3
0
2
1
0
0
0
0
7
11
0
Baseball Falls Short in Mothers Day Matinee
5/12/2019 5:39:00 PM | Baseball
EMU baseball moms throw out ceremonial first pitch
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – A day that began with love in the air ended with sorrow, as the Eastern Michigan University baseball team fell short in the final game of its three-game series with Central Michigan University, 8-7, today, May 12, at Oestrike Stadium.
While the Eagles did not win the game, they were able to participate in an event that will surely become a lifetime memory, as 14 of the players' mothers threw out the ceremonial first pitch of the game. There were certainly some wild pitches, but each one was thrown to their son for a touching and heartwarming pregame moment. Perhaps the sweetest image was the hug each student-athlete shared with their loved one before the game began, which reminded each spectator that behind every player and coach, there is a support system that has helped them reach their goals and strive to achieve their dreams.
With the game underway, Eastern (11-40-1; 6-18 MAC) took multi-run leads on two different occasions before the high-powered Chips fought back to win their league-best 19th Mid-American Conference game of the season.
Offensively, the Eagles put together their best performance of the series, tallying eight runs on 13 hits in the ball game.
Tied at one in the bottom of the second inning, EMU erupted for three runs to take its largest lead of the weekend, 4-1. After Eastern loaded the bases via three singles, junior Zachary Owings (Saline, Mich.-Saline) launched a two-run double deep down the left field line, scoring two Eagles and giving Eastern the lead, 3-1. The Green and White added its fourth run of the game in the next at-bat when the CMU defense committed an error that allowed senior John Rensel Jr. (Tallmadge, Ohio-Tallmadge) to cross the plate.
Again tied, 4-4, in the fourth, the Eagles continued to pound CMU pitching. Following a lead-off single from Rensel and a second consecutive two-bagger by Owings, junior Nate Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) hit an RBI single, scoring Rensel for the second time in the contest and giving EMU the lead, 5-4. Later in the inning, sophomore Jared Kauffman (Springboro, Ohio-Bishop Fenwick) added an RBI fielder's choice, putting Eastern ahead, 6-4.
Although the Eagles started hot at the dish, they were unable to keep their momentum going as Central retired 15 straight EMU hitters to end the game and win by one, 8-7.
Three Eastern players provided work on the mound. After freshman Justin Meis (Pittsburgh, Pa.-Bethel Park) started the game, sophomore Holden Cook (Oklahoma City, Okla.-Casady (Murray State)) and redshirt junior Caleb Hester (Coloma, Mich.-Coloma) came on to finish the contest for the Green and White.
Despite holding the Chips scoreless in six of the game's nine frames, the Central Michigan offense proved overpowering, knocking 13 hits en route to its win.
Eastern returns to the diamond when it hosts Kent State University for a three-game weekend series, May 16-18, at Oestrike Stadium. The final series of the season, game one will be played Thursday, May 16, at 6 p.m., with games to follow Friday, May 17, at 3 p.m. and Saturday, May18, at 1 p.m.
While the Eagles did not win the game, they were able to participate in an event that will surely become a lifetime memory, as 14 of the players' mothers threw out the ceremonial first pitch of the game. There were certainly some wild pitches, but each one was thrown to their son for a touching and heartwarming pregame moment. Perhaps the sweetest image was the hug each student-athlete shared with their loved one before the game began, which reminded each spectator that behind every player and coach, there is a support system that has helped them reach their goals and strive to achieve their dreams.
With the game underway, Eastern (11-40-1; 6-18 MAC) took multi-run leads on two different occasions before the high-powered Chips fought back to win their league-best 19th Mid-American Conference game of the season.
Offensively, the Eagles put together their best performance of the series, tallying eight runs on 13 hits in the ball game.
Tied at one in the bottom of the second inning, EMU erupted for three runs to take its largest lead of the weekend, 4-1. After Eastern loaded the bases via three singles, junior Zachary Owings (Saline, Mich.-Saline) launched a two-run double deep down the left field line, scoring two Eagles and giving Eastern the lead, 3-1. The Green and White added its fourth run of the game in the next at-bat when the CMU defense committed an error that allowed senior John Rensel Jr. (Tallmadge, Ohio-Tallmadge) to cross the plate.
Again tied, 4-4, in the fourth, the Eagles continued to pound CMU pitching. Following a lead-off single from Rensel and a second consecutive two-bagger by Owings, junior Nate Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) hit an RBI single, scoring Rensel for the second time in the contest and giving EMU the lead, 5-4. Later in the inning, sophomore Jared Kauffman (Springboro, Ohio-Bishop Fenwick) added an RBI fielder's choice, putting Eastern ahead, 6-4.
Although the Eagles started hot at the dish, they were unable to keep their momentum going as Central retired 15 straight EMU hitters to end the game and win by one, 8-7.
Three Eastern players provided work on the mound. After freshman Justin Meis (Pittsburgh, Pa.-Bethel Park) started the game, sophomore Holden Cook (Oklahoma City, Okla.-Casady (Murray State)) and redshirt junior Caleb Hester (Coloma, Mich.-Coloma) came on to finish the contest for the Green and White.
Despite holding the Chips scoreless in six of the game's nine frames, the Central Michigan offense proved overpowering, knocking 13 hits en route to its win.
Eastern returns to the diamond when it hosts Kent State University for a three-game weekend series, May 16-18, at Oestrike Stadium. The final series of the season, game one will be played Thursday, May 16, at 6 p.m., with games to follow Friday, May 17, at 3 p.m. and Saturday, May18, at 1 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: PALMBALD, Ryan (3-0)
L: Cook, Holden (1-6)
Batting:
2B: LOCKWOOD-POWELL, G. 1 ; HEEKE, Zach 2
RBI: CRUM, Jacob 2 ; HEEKE, Zach 3 ; NAVARRA, Garrett 1 ; KRATT, Evan 1
SH: SULLIVAN, Jason 1
SF: KRATT, Evan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WARREN, Zavier 1 ; GILLES, Zach 2 ; LOCKWOOD-POWELL, G. 2 ; CRUM, Jacob 2 ; HEEKE, Zach 1
SB: GILLES, Zach 1
HBP: HEEKE, Zach 1
Batting:
2B: Owings, Zachary 2 ; Jones, Nate 1
RBI: Owings, Zachary 2 ; Jones, Nick 1 ; Kauffman, Jared 2 ; Easter, Shane 1
SH: Hopkins, Taylor 1
SF: Easter, Shane 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rensel Jr., John 3 ; Owings, Zachary 1 ; Jones, Nate 1 ; Hopkins, Taylor 1 ; Cruz, Cameron 1
SB: Jones, Nick 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
3
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballIF
/ BaseballIF
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