Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, April 17
Oestrike Stadium
6 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
10-18, 0
2
vs
1
Ball State
20-11, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Ball State
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
6
0
Eastern Michigan
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
2
7
0
Baseball Delivers Walk-off Nightcapper to go up, 2-1, on Ball State in Series
4/17/2021 9:46:00 PM | Baseball
Senior captain Nick Jones records exciting walk-off single in game two of the doubleheader
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University baseball team split a pair of games with Ball State University, Saturday, April 17, inside Oestrike Stadium. Although the Green and White came up short, 13-8, in game one, they were able to rally in game two, winning a pitcher's duel, 2-1, in walk off fashion.
The split pushes the Eagles to 10-18 overall and 6-13 in Mid-American Conference play. The Cardinals are now 20-11 overall and 11-4 in league play.
Game One: Ball State 13, Eastern Michigan 8 (8 innings)
After yesterday's offensive slugfest, the Eagles and Cardinals picked up right where they left off, with Eastern Michigan falling to Ball State, 13-8, in eight innings of the first game of the doubleheader.
At the plate, EMU had no problem building off of what it did in yesterday's contest. Leading the way were seniors Shane Easter (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Comstock) and Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview). Easter had three hits and two runs scored, while Jones knocked in three and scored once.
In support, junior transfer Gabe Denton (Clare, Mich.-Clare (North Iowa)) reached base three times and scored two runs, with senior Eli Gora (Cincinnati, Ohio-Anderson) adding two RBIs in the opening game.
Junior Justin Meis (Pittsburg, Pa.-Bethel Park) was strong on the mound, carrying a no-hitter into the fifth inning. He ended the afternoon allowing just two hits, while striking out four. In relief, sophomore Trevor House (Okeana, Ohio-Ross) tossed a scoreless inning. In total, the six Eagles hurlers allowed eight hits and struck out six.
The Cardinals struck first in the third inning, despite not getting a hit. With a walk, hit by pitch, wild pitch and groundout, Ball State was able to take a 1-0 lead.
The Eagles, however, were able to immediately respond, as Easter and Denton got things started with a hit and a walk. An errant pickoff throw moved runners to second and third, and junior Taylor Hopkins (Mason, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller) drove home Easter to knot the game at 1-1. Jones then came through with a sacrifice fly to give the Eagles a 2-1 advantage after three innings.
Leading 2-1, Meis ran into trouble in the fifth inning, as the Cardinals got runners to first and second with two outs. Ball State's first hit of the game would prove to be a pivotal one, as a triple to the gap in right center brought home two runners and pushed the Cardinals in front, 3-2. The Eagles would threaten in the bottom of the frame, getting runners to second and third, but a strikeout and groundout ended the threat.
Ball State pushed its lead to 4-2 in the top of the sixth inning, thanks to a sacrifice fly. With two opportunities remaining, the Eagles put the pressure on. Easter came through in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI-double down the right field line, pulling the Eagles within one, 4-3. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, senior Jared Kauffman (Springboro, Ohio-Bishop Fenwick) brought home the tying run on a groundout to second base.
With the bases loaded, Jones laced a ball into left field, bringing home two more Eagles, which gave them a 6-4 lead. Not to be outdone, Gora brought home two more on a single to right, pushing the Eagles' advantage to 8-4. The barrage would end there, but the six runs in the frame were the most in a single inning for the Eagles since March 3, 2018 against Nicholls State.
With one last chance to get back in the game, Ball State loaded the bases with two outs and brought home two on an RBI single, shrinking the Eagles' lead to two, 8-6. After a hit batter, the Cardinals knocked in two more to even the game, 8-8. Sophomore Luke Russo (Howell, Mich.-Howell) came on to end the threat and give the Green and White a chance to put the game away.
Eastern saw an opportunity in the bottom of the seventh, putting two runners on, but the Cardinals would get out of the jam and push the game to extra innings. In extras, Ball State continued with the hot bats, collecting five runs in the top of the eighth inning to take a 13-8 lead. In the bottom half of the frame, the Eagles put two runners on, but couldn't push a run across, giving the Cardinals the opening game victory.
Game Two: Eastern Michigan 2, Ball State 1
After a pair of strong offensive showings to open the four game series, the pitchers decided it was their turn to shine. Thanks to some clutch at-bats late in the game, Eastern was able to edge Ball State, 2-1, in the second game of the doubleheader.
At the plate, Jones provided the spark, knocking in the game-winning run via line drive down the third base path in the bottom of the seventh, the game's final frame. Overall, Jones collected two more hits and added the other RBI to his already impressive Saturday showing. Senior Nate Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview), Hopkins, Easter and sophomore Anthony Sharkas (Canton, Mich.-Plymouth) all picked up a hit in the contest as well.
In addition to the offensive excitement, sophomore hurler Cameron Wagoner (Tecumseh, Mich.-Tecumseh) provided plenty of his fireworks of his own on the mound. On the hill for his first start of the season, Wagoner showed off an impressive array of pitches during a career-long 5.0 innings of work. He allowed just four hits during that stretch, and was able to keep Ball State off the board while striking out nine Cardinals along the way. Wagoner's strikeout total is the best for the Michigan product in his two seasons with EMU.
Though the score stayed low, each team had a few opportunities to grab a lead throughout the game. The Eagles put a runner on second in the first inning, but failed to bring him home. The Green and White threatened again in the fourth inning, getting a runner to third, but a close play at first ended the inning.
Ball State put two runners on in the second and loaded the bases in the fourth, but Wagoner was there to slam the door. The Eagles returned the favor, loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, but could not find a way to score a run.
In a controversial turn of events, the Cardinals had runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the sixth inning. Ball state singled to center and the runner from second tried to score. Nate Jones threw to third and caught the runner trying to advance from first. The umpires ruled the run had scored prior to the out, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. To the dismay of the Eastern dugout, the run would remain on the board after the umpires huddled to talk about the call.
That lead wouldn't last long, however, as an Easter sacrifice fly with the bases loaded tied the game in the bottom of the sixth frame. The Eagles' offense would stall out from there, sending the tie game into the seventh inning.
After shutting the Cardinals' offense down in the top of the seventh, the Eagles went to work looking to end the game. Sharkas led the inning off with a walk, and a Hopkins sacrifice bunt moved him over to second. Nick Jones was then able to come through with a walk-off single, giving the Eagles a 2-1 victory.
Eastern Michigan will look to take the series finale against Ball State tomorrow, April 18, at Oestrike Stadium. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
To stay up to date on all things EMU baseball, continue to check EMUEagles.com, or follow the team on Twitter, @EMU_Baseball.
The split pushes the Eagles to 10-18 overall and 6-13 in Mid-American Conference play. The Cardinals are now 20-11 overall and 11-4 in league play.
Game One: Ball State 13, Eastern Michigan 8 (8 innings)
After yesterday's offensive slugfest, the Eagles and Cardinals picked up right where they left off, with Eastern Michigan falling to Ball State, 13-8, in eight innings of the first game of the doubleheader.
At the plate, EMU had no problem building off of what it did in yesterday's contest. Leading the way were seniors Shane Easter (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Comstock) and Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview). Easter had three hits and two runs scored, while Jones knocked in three and scored once.
In support, junior transfer Gabe Denton (Clare, Mich.-Clare (North Iowa)) reached base three times and scored two runs, with senior Eli Gora (Cincinnati, Ohio-Anderson) adding two RBIs in the opening game.
Junior Justin Meis (Pittsburg, Pa.-Bethel Park) was strong on the mound, carrying a no-hitter into the fifth inning. He ended the afternoon allowing just two hits, while striking out four. In relief, sophomore Trevor House (Okeana, Ohio-Ross) tossed a scoreless inning. In total, the six Eagles hurlers allowed eight hits and struck out six.
The Cardinals struck first in the third inning, despite not getting a hit. With a walk, hit by pitch, wild pitch and groundout, Ball State was able to take a 1-0 lead.
The Eagles, however, were able to immediately respond, as Easter and Denton got things started with a hit and a walk. An errant pickoff throw moved runners to second and third, and junior Taylor Hopkins (Mason, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller) drove home Easter to knot the game at 1-1. Jones then came through with a sacrifice fly to give the Eagles a 2-1 advantage after three innings.
Leading 2-1, Meis ran into trouble in the fifth inning, as the Cardinals got runners to first and second with two outs. Ball State's first hit of the game would prove to be a pivotal one, as a triple to the gap in right center brought home two runners and pushed the Cardinals in front, 3-2. The Eagles would threaten in the bottom of the frame, getting runners to second and third, but a strikeout and groundout ended the threat.
Ball State pushed its lead to 4-2 in the top of the sixth inning, thanks to a sacrifice fly. With two opportunities remaining, the Eagles put the pressure on. Easter came through in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI-double down the right field line, pulling the Eagles within one, 4-3. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, senior Jared Kauffman (Springboro, Ohio-Bishop Fenwick) brought home the tying run on a groundout to second base.
With the bases loaded, Jones laced a ball into left field, bringing home two more Eagles, which gave them a 6-4 lead. Not to be outdone, Gora brought home two more on a single to right, pushing the Eagles' advantage to 8-4. The barrage would end there, but the six runs in the frame were the most in a single inning for the Eagles since March 3, 2018 against Nicholls State.
With one last chance to get back in the game, Ball State loaded the bases with two outs and brought home two on an RBI single, shrinking the Eagles' lead to two, 8-6. After a hit batter, the Cardinals knocked in two more to even the game, 8-8. Sophomore Luke Russo (Howell, Mich.-Howell) came on to end the threat and give the Green and White a chance to put the game away.
Eastern saw an opportunity in the bottom of the seventh, putting two runners on, but the Cardinals would get out of the jam and push the game to extra innings. In extras, Ball State continued with the hot bats, collecting five runs in the top of the eighth inning to take a 13-8 lead. In the bottom half of the frame, the Eagles put two runners on, but couldn't push a run across, giving the Cardinals the opening game victory.
Game Two: Eastern Michigan 2, Ball State 1
After a pair of strong offensive showings to open the four game series, the pitchers decided it was their turn to shine. Thanks to some clutch at-bats late in the game, Eastern was able to edge Ball State, 2-1, in the second game of the doubleheader.
At the plate, Jones provided the spark, knocking in the game-winning run via line drive down the third base path in the bottom of the seventh, the game's final frame. Overall, Jones collected two more hits and added the other RBI to his already impressive Saturday showing. Senior Nate Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview), Hopkins, Easter and sophomore Anthony Sharkas (Canton, Mich.-Plymouth) all picked up a hit in the contest as well.
In addition to the offensive excitement, sophomore hurler Cameron Wagoner (Tecumseh, Mich.-Tecumseh) provided plenty of his fireworks of his own on the mound. On the hill for his first start of the season, Wagoner showed off an impressive array of pitches during a career-long 5.0 innings of work. He allowed just four hits during that stretch, and was able to keep Ball State off the board while striking out nine Cardinals along the way. Wagoner's strikeout total is the best for the Michigan product in his two seasons with EMU.
Though the score stayed low, each team had a few opportunities to grab a lead throughout the game. The Eagles put a runner on second in the first inning, but failed to bring him home. The Green and White threatened again in the fourth inning, getting a runner to third, but a close play at first ended the inning.
Ball State put two runners on in the second and loaded the bases in the fourth, but Wagoner was there to slam the door. The Eagles returned the favor, loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, but could not find a way to score a run.
In a controversial turn of events, the Cardinals had runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the sixth inning. Ball state singled to center and the runner from second tried to score. Nate Jones threw to third and caught the runner trying to advance from first. The umpires ruled the run had scored prior to the out, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. To the dismay of the Eastern dugout, the run would remain on the board after the umpires huddled to talk about the call.
That lead wouldn't last long, however, as an Easter sacrifice fly with the bases loaded tied the game in the bottom of the sixth frame. The Eagles' offense would stall out from there, sending the tie game into the seventh inning.
After shutting the Cardinals' offense down in the top of the seventh, the Eagles went to work looking to end the game. Sharkas led the inning off with a walk, and a Hopkins sacrifice bunt moved him over to second. Nick Jones was then able to come through with a walk-off single, giving the Eagles a 2-1 victory.
Eastern Michigan will look to take the series finale against Ball State tomorrow, April 18, at Oestrike Stadium. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
To stay up to date on all things EMU baseball, continue to check EMUEagles.com, or follow the team on Twitter, @EMU_Baseball.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Reinkall, Justin (1-1)
L: JOHNSON, Ty (3-2)
Batting:
RBI: SEBBY, Chase 1
SH: PELTIER, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: QUARTERMAINE, T. 1
SB: PELTIER, Ryan 1
CS: NAVARRO, Noah 1
Batting:
2B: Jones, Nate 1
RBI: Jones, Nick 1 ; Easter, Shane 1
SH: Hopkins, Taylor 1 ; Jones, Nick 1 ; Gora, Eli 1
SF: Bault, Christian 1 ; Easter, Shane 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gora, Eli 1 ; Sharkas, Anthony 1
HBP: Bault, Christian 1 ; Kauffman, Jared 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C/IF
/ Baseball
IF/OF
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballC/IF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP/IF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
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