Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, May 8
Bowling Green, Ohio
12 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
16-19, 0
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5
Bowling Green
13-25, 0
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4
5
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7
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H
E
Eastern Michigan
0
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6
9
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Bowling Green
3
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0
1
5
7
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How Sweep it is: Baseball Finishes 4-0 Weekend at Bowling Green
5/8/2021 5:37:00 PM | Baseball
The team extends its longest win streak since 2011, claims 10th consecutive series win over Falcons
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – Get out your brooms and put "Back to Ypsilanti" on volume 10, because the Eastern Michigan University baseball team closed out a dominant four-game, Mid-American Conference sweep over Bowling Green State University today, May 8, inside Gary Haas Stadium.
A doubleheader of games at Steller Field saw Eastern (17-19, 10-11 MAC) win a tight, 6-5, game over the Falcons in the seven-inning third game of the series, before finishing off the home team, 3-0, in the fourth and final game of the weekend set. Eastern's win in game two was its second shutout victory of the weekend and of the season. Additionally, it secured EMU's first series sweep since it took three straight over Toledo April 26-28, 2019, at Oestrike Stadium.
EMU has now won seven straight contests, its best streak since the 2011 season when the team won the same number between April 24-May 1, 2011. Additionally, EMU is on a five-game MAC win streak, its best conference mark since April 17-May 1 of the same year.
With its series win over the Falcons, Eastern Michigan claimed its 10th consecutive series win over Bowling Green State University, a streak that dates back to 2005. Eastern has dominated BGSU in their 181 all-time meetings, as the Eagles now hold a 107-74 edge over their league rival.
Offensively, Eastern got another day of great production throughout its lineup. The team combined to notch 18 hits en route to nine runs during the two games. A handful of Eagles turned in multiple hit performances with senior Mike Monahan (Saline, Mich.-Saline) tying for the team lead in hits (3), and pacing the team in RBIs (4).
Defensively, the entire unit was stout. In fact, EMU did not commit its first error until the eighth inning of game two. The Eagles again got solid starting pitching, highlighted by an incredible 7.0-inning, three-hit, scoreless effort from senior Scott Granzotto (Northville, Mich.-Gabriel Richard), who moved to 3-0 on the season with the win.
Game One: Eastern Michigan 6, Bowling Green 5
Saturday's first game provided the Eagles with a challenge they had not faced in better than five games, a deficit. After failing to score it its first trip to the plate, Eastern's defense surrendered three early runs to the Falcons. When the first inning was complete, EMU was down, 3-0.
Ready for the adversity, Eastern responded in the second. With one on and one out, senior Daniel Warkentin (Leamington, Ontario-Leamington District (Parkland)) was able to complete a series cycle, his first of the year, via a double down the right field line. That effort was enough to push one across the plate and bring the deficit within a pair, 3-1. Moments later, it was none other than Monahan who came through yet again for EMU, this time delivering an RBI-single, his fourth hit of the weekend, to bring Warkentin home.
On the hill for Eastern, the hard-throwing sophomore, Cameron Wagoner (Tecumseh, Mich.-Tecumseh) settled in nicely after a tough first inning. He bounced back to blank the Falcons in the bottom of the second, needing just four batters to do so. Although he surrendered one more run in the third, he again came back to hold BGSU without a run in the fourth.
Down 4-2 after four, Eastern again rallied in the top portion of the fifth inning. A one-out walk put junior shortstop Taylor Hopkins (Mason, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller) aboard before senior Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) slapped a single into center field. Senior Christian Bault (Maineville, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller (Lincoln Trail) took care of business from there, as he barreled an RBI-single to score Hopkins and pull EMU back within one, 4-3. Unfortunately, the rally ended there. Still, it put Eastern right back in the baseball game.
Back on the bump for the fifth, Wagoner produced one quick out before handing the ball to teammate Trevor House (Okeana, Ohio-Ross), who went to work on the next two Falcon hitters. The scrappy lefty had no problems finishing off the home team in the respective inning, and helped Eastern get back to the plate.
Still down a run, 4-3, EMU strung together its best hitting streak of the day in the top of the sixth. Senior Eli Gora (Cincinnati, Ohio-Anderson) got the hit parade going with a double off the wall, and scored two batters later when Monahan did the same. Tied at four, BGSU elected to intentionally walk the dangerous Hopkins, a decision that Jones made the Falcons regret when he smashed a two-RBI, bases-clearing double, the team's third of the frame, to give EMU its first lead, 6-4.
That run support proved to be enough for House, who returned to the hill for the sixth and seventh innings, respectively. After starting the sixth with a strikeout, House surrendered a one-out walk. Unfazed by the baserunner, he quickly produced to fly balls that were secured by the defense.
In the seventh and final frame, House was tasked with battling the top of Bowling Green's order. A soft-hit, bloop single was followed by a grounder that got through the left side of the infield. With two on and no outs, House persevered. A fly out and line out got House to two outs, but allowed BGSU to score a run. Up, 6-5, House took the final batter to a 3-2 count, where he delivered a perfect fastball at the knees to ring up the Falcons and give Eastern its sixth-consecutive win.
With the victory, EMU successfully erased its largest deficit of the season for a win, three runs. For his effort on the bump, House earned the win and moved to 2-0 on the season.
Game Two: Eastern Michigan 3, Bowling Green 0
After an offensive outpouring in the first three games of the series, game four, the series finale, was anything but. A pure pitcher's duel in every sense of the term, both starting hurlers offered incredible performances on the bump.
For Eastern, it was Granzotto that took the hill for his eighth start of the season and his second this week after previously starting and beating Toledo Tuesday, May 4. Quite simply, Granzotto put together one of the most stellar outings of his already impressive career.
Perfect through the first 11 batters he saw, Granzotto allowed just two hits through his first six innings of work. No baserunner moved past first base in that span, as Granzotto needed just 64 pitches to get through the game's first six frames.
Offensively, Eastern was challenged just as strongly by BGSU's Peyton Wilson. Eastern did find limited success against the right-handed Wilson, but was ultimately held off the scoreboard in each of its first four trips to the plate.
The Eagles found rhythm with two outs in the top of the fifth. After junior transfer Will Oberg (Wayzata, Minn.-Wayzata (Heartland)) singled, Hopkins stepped to the plate and delivered. The junior shortstop pushed a single into center field. After a bobble by the center fielder opened a small gap, Oberg burst home where, to the excitement of the Eastern fans in attendance and the dismay of many angry Falcons' faithful, he slide underneath of the attempted tag and put Eastern ahead, 1-0.
After a quick-and-easy set of innings in the bottom of the fifth and sixth, respectively, Granzotto faced his toughest challenge of the day in the seventh. After an incredibly close payoff pitch missed inside, the southpaw found himself with Bowling Green runners on first and second base and two outs gone. After collecting his breath, Granzotto delivered perhaps his most important pitch of the afternoon, a strike that was lifted into center for an easy fly out. That put an end to the respective Falcon threat and preserved EMU's tight, 1-0 lead. The out was also the last pitch of the day for Granzotto, who exited following his stellar seven innings.
Although the EMU bats threatened in the eighth, the Green and White could not score. Heading to the bottom of the frame, it was junior Justin Reinkall (Superior, Wis.-Superior (Southeast)) that took over for Granzotto. He quickly took care of the Falcons. In fact, an error in the infield was the only blip in the otherwise clean inning.
Looking to add insurance in the top of the ninth, the Eagles battled effectively once again. With Gora on first following a hit-by-pitch, he and Warkentin executed a perfect hit-and-run to put runners at the corner with just one out. In the box, Monahan, recently nicknamed "The Shop Vac," by teammates and coaches, laid down a perfect bunt, one that forced the BGSU pitcher to take the out at first, thus allowing Gora to score a much needed run and put the Eagles up, 2-0. Moments later, Hopkins came through with an RBI-single up the middle to extend EMU's lead to 3-0.
On to close it out in the ninth, junior hurler Zach Fruit (Dundee, Mich.-Dundee (Lansing)) carved through the Bowling Green lineup. Although two runners reached, the first-year Eagle kept the home team off the board and secured the win for EMU, 3-0.
EMU will be quickly back in action with a pair of seven inning games against Toledo, May 11, inside Oestrike Stadium. The games will begin at 3 p.m and 6 p.m., respectively.
For the most up-to-date news on all things EMU baseball, continue to visit EMUEagles.com and follow the team on social media at @EMU_Baseball.
A doubleheader of games at Steller Field saw Eastern (17-19, 10-11 MAC) win a tight, 6-5, game over the Falcons in the seven-inning third game of the series, before finishing off the home team, 3-0, in the fourth and final game of the weekend set. Eastern's win in game two was its second shutout victory of the weekend and of the season. Additionally, it secured EMU's first series sweep since it took three straight over Toledo April 26-28, 2019, at Oestrike Stadium.
EMU has now won seven straight contests, its best streak since the 2011 season when the team won the same number between April 24-May 1, 2011. Additionally, EMU is on a five-game MAC win streak, its best conference mark since April 17-May 1 of the same year.
With its series win over the Falcons, Eastern Michigan claimed its 10th consecutive series win over Bowling Green State University, a streak that dates back to 2005. Eastern has dominated BGSU in their 181 all-time meetings, as the Eagles now hold a 107-74 edge over their league rival.
Offensively, Eastern got another day of great production throughout its lineup. The team combined to notch 18 hits en route to nine runs during the two games. A handful of Eagles turned in multiple hit performances with senior Mike Monahan (Saline, Mich.-Saline) tying for the team lead in hits (3), and pacing the team in RBIs (4).
Defensively, the entire unit was stout. In fact, EMU did not commit its first error until the eighth inning of game two. The Eagles again got solid starting pitching, highlighted by an incredible 7.0-inning, three-hit, scoreless effort from senior Scott Granzotto (Northville, Mich.-Gabriel Richard), who moved to 3-0 on the season with the win.
Game One: Eastern Michigan 6, Bowling Green 5
Saturday's first game provided the Eagles with a challenge they had not faced in better than five games, a deficit. After failing to score it its first trip to the plate, Eastern's defense surrendered three early runs to the Falcons. When the first inning was complete, EMU was down, 3-0.
Ready for the adversity, Eastern responded in the second. With one on and one out, senior Daniel Warkentin (Leamington, Ontario-Leamington District (Parkland)) was able to complete a series cycle, his first of the year, via a double down the right field line. That effort was enough to push one across the plate and bring the deficit within a pair, 3-1. Moments later, it was none other than Monahan who came through yet again for EMU, this time delivering an RBI-single, his fourth hit of the weekend, to bring Warkentin home.
On the hill for Eastern, the hard-throwing sophomore, Cameron Wagoner (Tecumseh, Mich.-Tecumseh) settled in nicely after a tough first inning. He bounced back to blank the Falcons in the bottom of the second, needing just four batters to do so. Although he surrendered one more run in the third, he again came back to hold BGSU without a run in the fourth.
Down 4-2 after four, Eastern again rallied in the top portion of the fifth inning. A one-out walk put junior shortstop Taylor Hopkins (Mason, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller) aboard before senior Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) slapped a single into center field. Senior Christian Bault (Maineville, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller (Lincoln Trail) took care of business from there, as he barreled an RBI-single to score Hopkins and pull EMU back within one, 4-3. Unfortunately, the rally ended there. Still, it put Eastern right back in the baseball game.
Back on the bump for the fifth, Wagoner produced one quick out before handing the ball to teammate Trevor House (Okeana, Ohio-Ross), who went to work on the next two Falcon hitters. The scrappy lefty had no problems finishing off the home team in the respective inning, and helped Eastern get back to the plate.
Still down a run, 4-3, EMU strung together its best hitting streak of the day in the top of the sixth. Senior Eli Gora (Cincinnati, Ohio-Anderson) got the hit parade going with a double off the wall, and scored two batters later when Monahan did the same. Tied at four, BGSU elected to intentionally walk the dangerous Hopkins, a decision that Jones made the Falcons regret when he smashed a two-RBI, bases-clearing double, the team's third of the frame, to give EMU its first lead, 6-4.
That run support proved to be enough for House, who returned to the hill for the sixth and seventh innings, respectively. After starting the sixth with a strikeout, House surrendered a one-out walk. Unfazed by the baserunner, he quickly produced to fly balls that were secured by the defense.
In the seventh and final frame, House was tasked with battling the top of Bowling Green's order. A soft-hit, bloop single was followed by a grounder that got through the left side of the infield. With two on and no outs, House persevered. A fly out and line out got House to two outs, but allowed BGSU to score a run. Up, 6-5, House took the final batter to a 3-2 count, where he delivered a perfect fastball at the knees to ring up the Falcons and give Eastern its sixth-consecutive win.
With the victory, EMU successfully erased its largest deficit of the season for a win, three runs. For his effort on the bump, House earned the win and moved to 2-0 on the season.
Game Two: Eastern Michigan 3, Bowling Green 0
After an offensive outpouring in the first three games of the series, game four, the series finale, was anything but. A pure pitcher's duel in every sense of the term, both starting hurlers offered incredible performances on the bump.
For Eastern, it was Granzotto that took the hill for his eighth start of the season and his second this week after previously starting and beating Toledo Tuesday, May 4. Quite simply, Granzotto put together one of the most stellar outings of his already impressive career.
Perfect through the first 11 batters he saw, Granzotto allowed just two hits through his first six innings of work. No baserunner moved past first base in that span, as Granzotto needed just 64 pitches to get through the game's first six frames.
Offensively, Eastern was challenged just as strongly by BGSU's Peyton Wilson. Eastern did find limited success against the right-handed Wilson, but was ultimately held off the scoreboard in each of its first four trips to the plate.
The Eagles found rhythm with two outs in the top of the fifth. After junior transfer Will Oberg (Wayzata, Minn.-Wayzata (Heartland)) singled, Hopkins stepped to the plate and delivered. The junior shortstop pushed a single into center field. After a bobble by the center fielder opened a small gap, Oberg burst home where, to the excitement of the Eastern fans in attendance and the dismay of many angry Falcons' faithful, he slide underneath of the attempted tag and put Eastern ahead, 1-0.
After a quick-and-easy set of innings in the bottom of the fifth and sixth, respectively, Granzotto faced his toughest challenge of the day in the seventh. After an incredibly close payoff pitch missed inside, the southpaw found himself with Bowling Green runners on first and second base and two outs gone. After collecting his breath, Granzotto delivered perhaps his most important pitch of the afternoon, a strike that was lifted into center for an easy fly out. That put an end to the respective Falcon threat and preserved EMU's tight, 1-0 lead. The out was also the last pitch of the day for Granzotto, who exited following his stellar seven innings.
Although the EMU bats threatened in the eighth, the Green and White could not score. Heading to the bottom of the frame, it was junior Justin Reinkall (Superior, Wis.-Superior (Southeast)) that took over for Granzotto. He quickly took care of the Falcons. In fact, an error in the infield was the only blip in the otherwise clean inning.
Looking to add insurance in the top of the ninth, the Eagles battled effectively once again. With Gora on first following a hit-by-pitch, he and Warkentin executed a perfect hit-and-run to put runners at the corner with just one out. In the box, Monahan, recently nicknamed "The Shop Vac," by teammates and coaches, laid down a perfect bunt, one that forced the BGSU pitcher to take the out at first, thus allowing Gora to score a much needed run and put the Eagles up, 2-0. Moments later, Hopkins came through with an RBI-single up the middle to extend EMU's lead to 3-0.
On to close it out in the ninth, junior hurler Zach Fruit (Dundee, Mich.-Dundee (Lansing)) carved through the Bowling Green lineup. Although two runners reached, the first-year Eagle kept the home team off the board and secured the win for EMU, 3-0.
EMU will be quickly back in action with a pair of seven inning games against Toledo, May 11, inside Oestrike Stadium. The games will begin at 3 p.m and 6 p.m., respectively.
For the most up-to-date news on all things EMU baseball, continue to visit EMUEagles.com and follow the team on social media at @EMU_Baseball.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: House, Trevor (2-0)
L: SPEZIA (0-5)
Batting:
2B: Jones, Nick 1 ; Gora, Eli 2 ; Warkentin, Daniel 1 ; Monahan, Mike 1
RBI: Jones, Nick 2 ; Bault, Christian 1 ; Warkentin, Daniel 1 ; Monahan, Mike 2
SH: Easter, Shane 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hopkins, Taylor 2 ; Denton, Gabe 1 ; Gora, Eli 1 ; Warkentin, Daniel 1 ; Monahan, Mike 1
HBP: Denton, Gabe 1 ; Oberg, Will 1
Batting:
2B: FURNAS 1 ; MONTGOMERY 1
RBI: GURNEY 2 ; FURNAS 2 ; KRAUSE 1
SF: FURNAS 1 ; KRAUSE 1
Base Running:
RUNS: DOHANOS 2 ; GAYTAN 1 ; GURNEY 2
HBP: ROSE, Nathan 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
3
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
2b/1b
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballC/IF
/ Baseball1B
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF
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