Eastern Michigan Athletics
Sunday, February 16
Clarksville, Tenn.
1 p.m. CT
Eastern Michigan University
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Austin Peay
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Eastern Michigan
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Austin Peay
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Baseball Drops Series Finale at Austin Peay
2/16/2020 5:10:00 PM | Baseball
Junior captain Shane Easter notched three hits to lead the Eagles' offense
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team closed out its season-opening series with Austin Peay State University on the wrong side of a 13-6 decision today, Feb. 16, at Raymond C. Hand Baseball Park.
Eastern (1-2) knocked 10 hits and scored multiple runs twice in the non-conference affair, but was unable to hold any lead that it built. Austin Peay (2-1) fell behind three times, but came back in the bottom half of the same frame in each scenario.
The Eagles were led at the plate by junior captain Shane Easter (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Comstock), who had three hits (3-for-4), two runs, and one RBI on the afternoon. The Kalamazoo, Mich. native finished the series with four hits in two games. Redshirt junior Jeff Timko (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Brother Rice) displayed his power with a two-double performance.
Junior Justin Reinkall (Superior, Wis.-Superior (Southeast)) came on in relief to toss a strong 3.2 innings on the bump. The first-year Eagle hurled his way to seven strikeouts and allowed just one free pass in his debut outing.
The game remained scoreless until the third inning, when both teams were able to get on the board. Back-to-back hits from Easter and Timko jump-started the inning by putting runners on second and third with no outs. Sophomore Taylor Hopkins (Mason, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller) used the next at-bat to deliver his seventh RBI of the weekend, a slow roller that gave EMU the 1-0 lead.
After APSU came back with three runs of its own in the back half of the third inning to take the lead, 3-1, EMU was able to respond. Brothers Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) and Nate Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) got on with a hit-by-pitch and single, respectively, before junior Jared Kauffman (Springboro, Ohio-Bishop Fenwick) roped a line-drive sacrifice fly to right. Down, 3-2, EMU again got production from Easter and Timko. The duo knocked and RBI-single and RBI-double, respectively, which put the Eagles ahead, 4-3, after four.
Despite Eastern's offensive production, the Governors seemed to have an answer. The home team put up a three-spot in the bottom of the fourth and again put the Eagles on the wrong side of the scoreboard, 6-4. Undeterred, EMU came back yet again. With one on and one out, Nick Jones recorded an RBI-single, and later scored when redshirt junior Drake Peggs (Knightstown, Ind.-Knightstown Community) notched a single to center field. Tied at six apiece, Austin Peay took the lead with two runs of its own in the bottom of the fifth frame.
From the fifth inning on, it was the Governor defense that took control. Although EMU got runners on base in both the sixth and seventh frame, Austin Peay was able to successfully end the threat with a twin killing in both instances. The Eagles went down quickly in the eighth as well, as just one runner reached base (hit by pitch).
Eastern's seven-run deficit in the ninth proved too large. Although EMU attempted to string together late-game at-bats, it was unsuccessful in its comeback attempt.
The Green and White returns to action Friday, Feb. 21, as it travels to Sanford, Fla. for the first game of a three-game set with the University of Pittsburgh. Games two and three of the series are scheduled to be played on Saturday, Feb. 22, and Sunday, Feb. 23, respectively.
Eastern (1-2) knocked 10 hits and scored multiple runs twice in the non-conference affair, but was unable to hold any lead that it built. Austin Peay (2-1) fell behind three times, but came back in the bottom half of the same frame in each scenario.
The Eagles were led at the plate by junior captain Shane Easter (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Comstock), who had three hits (3-for-4), two runs, and one RBI on the afternoon. The Kalamazoo, Mich. native finished the series with four hits in two games. Redshirt junior Jeff Timko (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Brother Rice) displayed his power with a two-double performance.
Junior Justin Reinkall (Superior, Wis.-Superior (Southeast)) came on in relief to toss a strong 3.2 innings on the bump. The first-year Eagle hurled his way to seven strikeouts and allowed just one free pass in his debut outing.
The game remained scoreless until the third inning, when both teams were able to get on the board. Back-to-back hits from Easter and Timko jump-started the inning by putting runners on second and third with no outs. Sophomore Taylor Hopkins (Mason, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller) used the next at-bat to deliver his seventh RBI of the weekend, a slow roller that gave EMU the 1-0 lead.
After APSU came back with three runs of its own in the back half of the third inning to take the lead, 3-1, EMU was able to respond. Brothers Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) and Nate Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) got on with a hit-by-pitch and single, respectively, before junior Jared Kauffman (Springboro, Ohio-Bishop Fenwick) roped a line-drive sacrifice fly to right. Down, 3-2, EMU again got production from Easter and Timko. The duo knocked and RBI-single and RBI-double, respectively, which put the Eagles ahead, 4-3, after four.
Despite Eastern's offensive production, the Governors seemed to have an answer. The home team put up a three-spot in the bottom of the fourth and again put the Eagles on the wrong side of the scoreboard, 6-4. Undeterred, EMU came back yet again. With one on and one out, Nick Jones recorded an RBI-single, and later scored when redshirt junior Drake Peggs (Knightstown, Ind.-Knightstown Community) notched a single to center field. Tied at six apiece, Austin Peay took the lead with two runs of its own in the bottom of the fifth frame.
From the fifth inning on, it was the Governor defense that took control. Although EMU got runners on base in both the sixth and seventh frame, Austin Peay was able to successfully end the threat with a twin killing in both instances. The Eagles went down quickly in the eighth as well, as just one runner reached base (hit by pitch).
Eastern's seven-run deficit in the ninth proved too large. Although EMU attempted to string together late-game at-bats, it was unsuccessful in its comeback attempt.
The Green and White returns to action Friday, Feb. 21, as it travels to Sanford, Fla. for the first game of a three-game set with the University of Pittsburgh. Games two and three of the series are scheduled to be played on Saturday, Feb. 22, and Sunday, Feb. 23, respectively.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: NUNN, Kyle (1-0)
L: Reinkall, Justin (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Timko, Jeff 2
RBI: Timko, Jeff 1 ; Hopkins, Taylor 1 ; Jones, Nick 1 ; Peggs, Drake 1 ; Kauffman, Jared 1 ; Easter, Shane 1
SH: Peggs, Drake 1
SF: Kauffman, Jared 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Warkentin, Daniel 1 ; Jones, Nick 2 ; Jones, Nate 1 ; Easter, Shane 2
HBP: Warkentin, Daniel 1 ; Jones, Nick 1 ; Kauffman, Jared 1
Batting:
2B: LUNA, Skyler 1 ; SPAIN, Garrett 1 ; TIPLER, Malcolm 2
3B: DeLANCEY, Ty 1
HR: HEAD, Bobby 1
RBI: LUNA, Skyler 1 ; DeLANCEY, Ty 3 ; SPAIN, Garrett 1 ; BROWN, Reid 2 ; TIPLER, Malcolm 1 ; HEAD, Bobby 3 ; HAY, Alex 2
SH: AVROS, Gino 1
SF: TIPLER, Malcolm 1
Base Running:
RUNS: LUNA, Skyler 2 ; AVROS, Gino 1 ; DeLANCEY, Ty 2 ; SPAIN, Garrett 1 ; HUBBARD, Tyler 1 ; RIVERS, Griffin 1 ; TIPLER, Malcolm 2 ; HEAD, Bobby 2 ; COTTO, Tyler 1
SB: BROWN, Reid 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF/OF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballC/IF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballOF
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