Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
4-11
Butler
9-9
Baseball Wins Series Over Butler Sunday
3/20/2022 2:52:00 PM | Baseball
The Eagles split the doubleheader, defeating the Bulldogs in the series finale, 7-0
GAME 1: BU 4, EMU 3
GAME 2: EMU 7, BU 0
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University baseball team split a Sunday, March 20, non-conference doubleheader with Butler University inside Bulldog Park. The Eagles (5-11, 1-3 MAC) fell in the first game, 3-4, but came back to shutout the Bulldogs in the series finale, 7-0, to take the series victory over Butler.
Despite picking up six hits in the first ballgame and out-hitting Butler, Eastern Michigan was unable to push across more runs, as the Eagles fell to the Bulldogs 4-3 in the initial contest of the Sunday doubleheader. Redshirt junior Zach Gillig (Valley Center, Kan.-Valley Center (Pratt)) (0-2) came out of the bullpen for Eastern Michigan. Despite taking the loss, the right-hander went five strong innings, giving up one run on two hits, allowing no walks and striking out four.
In the batter's box, the Eagles were paced by senior Brady Huebbe (Peru, Ill.-La Salle-Peru (Northern Illinois)), who went 1-for-4 on the day with a triple. Senior Daniel Warkentin (Leamington, Ontario-Leamington District (Parkland)) furnished a standout effort as well, going 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Senior Taylor Hopkins (Mason, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller) also contributed for Eastern Michigan, putting together two hits in four trips to the plate while adding a double.
In game two, senior Thomas House (Ross, Ohio-Ross) (1-2) started and picked up the win for Eastern Michigan (5-11), going five shutout innings while giving up one hit, walking six, and striking out five. Junior Frankie Volkers (Maple Grove, Minn-Maple Grove (North Iowa)) was dealing out of the bullpen as well, going four shutout innings, allowing one hit, walking one, and striking out five.
Warkentin led the way offensively for the Eagles, going 2-for-5 in the ballgame with a home run and two RBIs. Huebbe provided a standout performance at the dish as well, going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Junior Matt Kirk (Milford, Ohio-Milford (Toledo)) also chipped in, going 2-for-6 for Eastern Michigan with an RBI.
How It Happened - Game 1
The Eagles were trailing 3-0 in the fourth inning when they first put runs on the board. Eastern Michigan managed to push across two runs in the inning. The Eagles kept the deficit at 3-2 before tying the score in the sixth. Eastern Michigan scored once on an RBI single off the bat of Warkentin, which evened the score at 3-3. Butler then scored in the bottom of the eighth inning to go ahead, 4-3, a score which held until final.
How it Happened - Game 2
The Eagles took the lead for good in the second, scoring for the first time in the inning. Eastern Michigan plated two runs when Warkentin left the yard with Huebbe aboard.
The Eagles then tacked on runs in the fourth, sixth, and ninth innings, with their biggest output coming in the ninth when they scored three times.
Game Notes - Game 1
» Eastern Michigan's highest scoring inning was the fourth, when it pushed two runs across.
» The Eagles out-hit the Bulldogs at a 6-5 clip.
» Hopkins led the Eagles with two hits in four trips to the plate. It marks Hopkins' fourth multiple-hit game this season, and second consecutive. His current two-game multi-hit streak is his best of the season.
» Warkentin paced the Eagles with two RBIs in the first game of the Sunday doubleheader against Butler. The two runs batted in are a season-high for the Leamington, Ontario native. Additionally, he has now recorded RBIs in consecutive contests for the first time this season. The multiple-RBI game is Warkentin's first since May 29, 2001, when he accounted for a pair of runs in a game against Kent State.
» Gillig put together arguably his best outing as an Eagle against the Bulldogs. The first-year member of the Green and White tossed a career-high 5.0 innings, giving up just two hits and just one earned run. Gillig struck out four opponents, his second-highest total with EMU and the most since his debut, when he dusted five Winthrop hitters, Feb. 19.
Game Notes - Game 2
» House and Volkers combined to throw a two-hit shutout. It is the second shutout of the season for the Eagles.
» Volkers struck out five Bulldogs hitters and House fanned five for the Eagles. Additionally, the win is House's first of the season and his first victory since the 2019 season (missed last season due to injury). Furthermore, the save is Volkers' first of his collegiate career
» Eastern Michigan's highest scoring inning was the ninth, when it pushed three runs across.
» Six Eagles had multiple hits in the ballgame while Eastern out-hit the Bulldogs at a 13-2 clip. Additionally, Eastern Michigan went 5-for-16 (.313) with runners in scoring position.
» EMU pitchers limited Butler to just 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and faced 37 Butler hitters in the game, allowing six ground balls and 10 fly balls while striking out 10.
» The victory gave Eastern two wins in the three-game series against Butler, which marks EMU's first series win of the 2022 season.
» Warkentin led the Eagles at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs. He has now recorded RBIs in three consecutive contests and multiple RBIs in two consecutive contests. The Leamington, Ontario native finished the Sunday doubleheader with a total of four RBIs on three hits and a home run.
» Freshman Logan Hugo (Essexville, Mich.-Essexville Garber) went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a stolen base, and a walk in his first collegiate start in right field.
Historical Notes
» The pitching staff surrendered a season-low two hits to the Bulldogs. That mark is the lowest amount of hits EMU's staff has allowed since the Eagles surrendered two hits to the very same Bulldogs, April 2, 2017.
» With the two victories this weekend over the Bulldogs, Eastern Michigan and Butler are now tied in the all-time head-to-head series, 4-4.
Up Next
Eastern Michigan will return home for the first time in 2022 when it welcomes fans back to Oestrike Stadium for a game against Concordia University-Ann Arbor Tuesday, March 22, at 3 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: VORE, Jon (3-1)
L: Gillig, Zach (0-2)
S: DREES, Derek (3)
Batting:
2B: Hopkins, Taylor 1 ; Easter, Shane 1
3B: Huebbe, Brady 1
RBI: Easter, Shane 1 ; Warkentin, Daniel 2
SH: Easter, Shane 1
SF: Warkentin, Daniel 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hopkins, Taylor 1 ; Easter, Shane 1 ; Huebbe, Brady 1
HBP: Denton, Gabe 1 ; Easter, Shane 1
Batting:
RBI: JONES, Scott 1 ; O'HALLORAN, Ryan 1 ; ALL, Kollyn 1
SH: HOLT, Travis 1 ; JONES, Scott 1
Base Running:
RUNS: GARGANO, James 1 ; STEINHART, Aaron 1 ; SHOOP, Jon 1 ; JONES, Scott 1
HBP: WURCH, Billy 1 ; VAN LIERE, Kyle 1
