Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, March 19
Akron, Ohio
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
5-5, 1-0
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Akron
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Eastern Michigan
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AKRON
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Pitching Dominates, Bats Erupt as Baseball Cruises Past Akron
3/19/2021 5:48:00 PM | Baseball
EMU hurlers recorded five-straight 1-2-3 innings to end the game
AKRON, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – Akron may be the tire capital of the world, but it was the Eastern Michigan University baseball team that owned the rubber today, March 9, as it cruised past the Zips, 9-2, at Skeeles Field.
The contest, the first of a four-game weekend series between the schools, moves Eastern (5-5, 1-0 MAC) up to .500 on the season, and 1-0 in Mid-American Conference play. Every MAC win is crucial in 2021 after the conference elected to move to a regular-season champion model of determining the league's automatic bid into NCAA regional play.
Offensively, Eastern used the late-game innings to set itself apart. The Eagles scored seven of their nine runs in the final three frames of play. Junior Taylor Hopkins (Mason, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller) led the Eagles with three hits on the day, including a home run, and recorded three RBIs. He was joined by senior captain Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview), who tallied two hits, including a milestone home run, en route to a three-RBI afternoon. Junior Will Oberg (Wayzata, Minn.-Wayzata (Heartland C.C.)) rounded out EMU's trio of multi-hit efforts.
Defensively, Eastern's pitching dominated all game. Senior ace Davis Feldman (Warren, Mich.-Brother Rice) tossed a season-best seven innings, allowing just two runs on six hits while dusting a career-best eight opposing hitters. He gave way to sophomore Cameron Wagoner (Tecumseh, Mich.-Tecumseh) and senior Justin Reinkall (Superior, Wisc.-Superior (Southeast Community)) in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, who closed out Akron with ease.
It was an ideal start for the hometown Zips as they quickly put down the Eagles in order to start the game before notching three hits and a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning.
Down, 1-0, it did not take the Eagles long to return the run. At the plate with no one on and one out, senior Christian Bault (Maineville, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller (Lincoln Trail)) turned on the inside pitch and drove it clear out of the park. The home run, which knotted the game at one, was Bault's first of the season, and just his second extra-base hit of the season. Although the bats went quiet for a stretch after that hit, the Eagles again utilized the long ball during their fourth-inning at-bat. In that frame, it was Hopkins that found the sweet spot for his second home run in his last three games. The third-year Eagle has not hit multiple homers in as short of a stretch since game one of the 2020 season when he hit a pair against Austin Peay, Feb. 15.
On the hill for the Green and White, Feldman recovered nicely following the first-inning run. In fact, after giving up the score, Feldman retired eight of the next nine batters he faced, a stat that helped him keep Akron off the board until the fourth inning when they notched a two-out, RBI-single to tie the game, 2-2. Pitching with his usual poise, Feldman worked out of the inning and limited the damage to a single run, before cruising past six-straight in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively to keep his team in the game.
Back at the plate in the top half of the seventh and with the game still tied, 2-2, the EMU bats put together an impressive series of events to take control of the contest. Jones started the frame with a two-bagger, his first of the season and fourth hit of the 2021 campaign. After moving up via a sacrifice bunt, Jones stood 90 feet from the plate with a familiar face, his brother Nate Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) next up in the batter's box. Not to be outdone by the older Nick, Nate Jones came through in the clutch as he lined an RBI-single up the middle to score his brother and give EMU the lead, 3-2. That single also extended Jones' on-base streak to six games, the longest of any Eagle this season. An error just moments later gave Nate Jones the opportunity to cross the plate and pad EMU's lead, 4-2, which it took into the bottom of the seventh.
Still on the bump, Feldman remained red hot as he recorded his third-consecutive 1-2-3 frame to shut down the Zips in their portion of the inning. Feldman's nine consecutive outs between the fifth and seventh innings, respectively, is the best stretch by an Eastern hurler this season.
With momentum clearly on the side of the Eagles, the Ypsilanti-based club continued to expand its advantage in the top-half of the eighth inning. After doubles by Oberg and Hopkins gave Eastern its fifth score of the day, Nick Jones came back to the plate and delivered the biggest hit of his young season, a two-run home run. That shot, the first of his five-year career at EMU, gave his team a 7-2 advantage, which proved to be more than enough for the dominant Eastern pitching staff.
Relieving Feldman in the eighth was Wagoner, who continued to trend of quick half-innings. Wagoner, like Feldman in his final three innings of work, retired the side in order in the eighth.
Not done on offense, Oberg helped Eastern add more insurance in the top of the ninth when he delivered his second double of the day, this time an RBI. Up, 8-2, EMU added one more run via a Mark Kattula (Sterling Heights, Mich.-Stevenson) RBI-single, his fourth scoring-hit of the season.
Back out for the ninth, and with a 9-2 lead in hand, Eastern's defense turned to Reinkall, who like his teammates in the preceding four innings, needed just three batters to get through the Zips' lineup.
Eastern pitchers finished the game with a season-best five-consecutive 1-2-3 innings and dismantled any hope of an Akron comeback. When the final out was recorded, it was Eastern who came out on top, 9-2.
Eastern will return to action tomorrow, March 20, for games two and three of the weekend series at Akron. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 12 p.m. with game two slate for 3:30 p.m.
For the most up-to-date information on all things EMU baseball, visit EMUEagles.com and follow the team on social media at, @EMU_Baseball.
The contest, the first of a four-game weekend series between the schools, moves Eastern (5-5, 1-0 MAC) up to .500 on the season, and 1-0 in Mid-American Conference play. Every MAC win is crucial in 2021 after the conference elected to move to a regular-season champion model of determining the league's automatic bid into NCAA regional play.
Offensively, Eastern used the late-game innings to set itself apart. The Eagles scored seven of their nine runs in the final three frames of play. Junior Taylor Hopkins (Mason, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller) led the Eagles with three hits on the day, including a home run, and recorded three RBIs. He was joined by senior captain Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview), who tallied two hits, including a milestone home run, en route to a three-RBI afternoon. Junior Will Oberg (Wayzata, Minn.-Wayzata (Heartland C.C.)) rounded out EMU's trio of multi-hit efforts.
Defensively, Eastern's pitching dominated all game. Senior ace Davis Feldman (Warren, Mich.-Brother Rice) tossed a season-best seven innings, allowing just two runs on six hits while dusting a career-best eight opposing hitters. He gave way to sophomore Cameron Wagoner (Tecumseh, Mich.-Tecumseh) and senior Justin Reinkall (Superior, Wisc.-Superior (Southeast Community)) in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, who closed out Akron with ease.
It was an ideal start for the hometown Zips as they quickly put down the Eagles in order to start the game before notching three hits and a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning.
Down, 1-0, it did not take the Eagles long to return the run. At the plate with no one on and one out, senior Christian Bault (Maineville, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller (Lincoln Trail)) turned on the inside pitch and drove it clear out of the park. The home run, which knotted the game at one, was Bault's first of the season, and just his second extra-base hit of the season. Although the bats went quiet for a stretch after that hit, the Eagles again utilized the long ball during their fourth-inning at-bat. In that frame, it was Hopkins that found the sweet spot for his second home run in his last three games. The third-year Eagle has not hit multiple homers in as short of a stretch since game one of the 2020 season when he hit a pair against Austin Peay, Feb. 15.
On the hill for the Green and White, Feldman recovered nicely following the first-inning run. In fact, after giving up the score, Feldman retired eight of the next nine batters he faced, a stat that helped him keep Akron off the board until the fourth inning when they notched a two-out, RBI-single to tie the game, 2-2. Pitching with his usual poise, Feldman worked out of the inning and limited the damage to a single run, before cruising past six-straight in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively to keep his team in the game.
Back at the plate in the top half of the seventh and with the game still tied, 2-2, the EMU bats put together an impressive series of events to take control of the contest. Jones started the frame with a two-bagger, his first of the season and fourth hit of the 2021 campaign. After moving up via a sacrifice bunt, Jones stood 90 feet from the plate with a familiar face, his brother Nate Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) next up in the batter's box. Not to be outdone by the older Nick, Nate Jones came through in the clutch as he lined an RBI-single up the middle to score his brother and give EMU the lead, 3-2. That single also extended Jones' on-base streak to six games, the longest of any Eagle this season. An error just moments later gave Nate Jones the opportunity to cross the plate and pad EMU's lead, 4-2, which it took into the bottom of the seventh.
Still on the bump, Feldman remained red hot as he recorded his third-consecutive 1-2-3 frame to shut down the Zips in their portion of the inning. Feldman's nine consecutive outs between the fifth and seventh innings, respectively, is the best stretch by an Eastern hurler this season.
With momentum clearly on the side of the Eagles, the Ypsilanti-based club continued to expand its advantage in the top-half of the eighth inning. After doubles by Oberg and Hopkins gave Eastern its fifth score of the day, Nick Jones came back to the plate and delivered the biggest hit of his young season, a two-run home run. That shot, the first of his five-year career at EMU, gave his team a 7-2 advantage, which proved to be more than enough for the dominant Eastern pitching staff.
Relieving Feldman in the eighth was Wagoner, who continued to trend of quick half-innings. Wagoner, like Feldman in his final three innings of work, retired the side in order in the eighth.
Not done on offense, Oberg helped Eastern add more insurance in the top of the ninth when he delivered his second double of the day, this time an RBI. Up, 8-2, EMU added one more run via a Mark Kattula (Sterling Heights, Mich.-Stevenson) RBI-single, his fourth scoring-hit of the season.
Back out for the ninth, and with a 9-2 lead in hand, Eastern's defense turned to Reinkall, who like his teammates in the preceding four innings, needed just three batters to get through the Zips' lineup.
Eastern pitchers finished the game with a season-best five-consecutive 1-2-3 innings and dismantled any hope of an Akron comeback. When the final out was recorded, it was Eastern who came out on top, 9-2.
Eastern will return to action tomorrow, March 20, for games two and three of the weekend series at Akron. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 12 p.m. with game two slate for 3:30 p.m.
For the most up-to-date information on all things EMU baseball, visit EMUEagles.com and follow the team on social media at, @EMU_Baseball.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Feldman, Davis (0-0)
L: STEINBAUGH, Conor (0-0)
Batting:
2B: Oberg, Will 1 ; Hopkins, Taylor 1 ; Jones, Nick 1
HR: Hopkins, Taylor 1 ; Jones, Nick 1 ; Bault, Christian 1
RBI: Oberg, Will 1 ; Kattula, Mark 1 ; Hopkins, Taylor 2 ; Jones, Nick 2 ; Bault, Christian 1 ; Jones, Nate 1
SH: Bault, Christian 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Oberg, Will 2 ; Hopkins, Taylor 2 ; Jones, Nick 2 ; Bault, Christian 1 ; Jones, Nate 1 ; Warkentin, Daniel 1
SB: Hopkins, Taylor 1 ; Jones, Nate 1
Batting:
HR: THURMAN, Roy 1
RBI: THURMAN, Roy 1 ; GOULET, Bradley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: THURMAN, Roy 1 ; NOWAK, Josh 1
CS: BARR, Justin 2
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
5
R
2
H
1
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballC/IF
/ BaseballIF
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
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