Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
15-19
Siena Heights
15-25
Baseball Slugs Its Way Past Siena Heights, 14-1
4/19/2022 5:46:00 PM | Baseball
EMU's pitching staff combined to allow just one run on three hits
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Senior Will Oberg (Wayzata, Minn.-Wayzata (Heartland)) and sophomore Glenn Miller (Pentwater, Mich.-Pentwater (Spring Arbor)) each racked up two extra-base hits to help lead the Eastern Michigan University baseball team over Siena Heights University, 14-1, in a non-conference affair today, April 19, inside Oestrike Stadium.
Freshman Coltrane Rubner (Livonia, Mich.-Stevenson) (1-0) picked up the victory out of the bullpen for Eastern Michigan (15-19, 10-10 MAC). The right-hander went two innings, giving up one run on two hits, allowing no walks and striking out two. Junior Frankie Volkers (Maple Grove, Minn.-Maple Grove (North Iowa)) also made an impact on the mound for the Eagles, starting the ballgame and throwing three scoreless innings while allowing no hits, with two walks and two strikeouts. Senior Jared Kauffman (Springboro, Ohio-Bishop Fenwick) made his first collegiate appearance on the mound, as he came in for the seventh and final frame of the ballgame.
Miller's day included two doubles and an RBI. Oberg made his contribution with two doubles and two RBIs, part of a 2-for-3 performance at the plate. Senior Eli Gora (Cincinnati, Ohio-Anderson) also chipped in for the Eagles, putting together two hits in two trips to the plate while adding a double, a walk and three RBIs.
How It Happened
The Eagles got the scoring started early, putting two runs on the board in the bottom of the first. The biggest hit of the inning was a solo shot by Daniel Warkentin (Leamington, Ontario-Leamington District (Parkland)), who notched his team-leading 11th long ball in the at-bat.
The Saints failed to push any runs across before the Eagles offense got back to their scoring ways the next inning. The Eastern Michigan offense exploded for five runs, highlighted by a two-run single off the bat of freshman Aaron Dolney (Plymouth, Mich.-Detroit Country Day (Nebraska)), which brought the score to 7-0 in favor of the Eagles.
Eastern Michigan held Siena Heights scoreless before building their lead to 10-0 in the fifth inning. The Eagles picked up three runs in the frame, two of them coming across on a two-RBI double from Gora.
The Saints fought back, closing the gap to 10-1 until Eastern Michigan added some insurance in the sixth. The Eagles scored four runs in the inning, highlighted by a one-run single off the bat of Rubner, bringing the Eastern Michigan advantage to 14-1. The score remained 14-1 for the rest of the game, as the Eagles coasted to the win.
Game Notes
» Every Eastern Michigan starter reached base safely in the win.
» Five Eagles had multiple hits in the ballgame.
» The Eagles out-hit the Saints at a 14-3 clip.
» Eastern Michigan went 8-for-18 (.444) with runners in scoring position.
» Eastern Michigan pitchers limited Siena Heights to just 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
» Warkentin hit an opposite-field home run for Eastern Michigan in the bottom of the first inning. The bomb was his team and conference-leading 11th of the season. Four other players in the MAC, including teammates Matt Kirk (Milford, Ohio-Milford (Toledo)) and Gabe Denton (Clare, Mich.-Clare (North Iowa)), have 10 apiece.
» Dolney finished the contest with two hits. The multi-hit effort is his ninth of the season, and he has now boosted his batting average to .321.
» It was the fourth time this season Gora recorded a multiple-hit game, halfway to his 2021 total of eight, which is his career-best for a single season.
» Freshman Logan Hugo (Essexville, MI.-Essexville Garber) recorded two hits, along with a walk. It was the fourth time this season in which Hugo has had at least two hits and a walk. The right-handed hitting freshman has hit the mark in just 19 career starts.
» Oberg recorded three runs in the game. The three runs is the most he has scored in a game this season, and the second-most of his career, just one behind the four he scored in a game at St. Bonaventure, May 1, 2021.
» Eastern Michigan's offense scored 14 runs in the game. The effort is tied for the third-most runs EMU has scored in a game this season. The Eagles scored 18 runs against Akron, March 25, and 15 runs at Butler, March 19.
» Eastern Michigan allowed one run in today's game. It is the fifth time this season it has allowed one run or fewer in a game (Winthrop, Feb. 20; Butler, March 20; Miami, April 10; Ohio, April 17). Additionally, it marks the first set of back-to-back games this season in which EMU has held an opponent to one run or less.
» EMU scored four runs in both the second and sixth inning of today's game. It is the sixth time this season that EMU has put up four-or-more runs in a pair of innings, in a single game.
» Rubner earned his first collegiate victory on the mound today. Entering the game, he had 16 prior appearances, all in the field.
» EMU hit .467 as a team in the contest, its second-best single-game effort this season (.471 vs. Akron, March 25).
» EMU hit seven doubles against Siena Heights, which ties its season-best mark (April 15 vs. Ohio).
Historical Notes
» EMU has allowed just one run in back-to-back games. It is the first such occurrence for the program since it tossed consecutive shutouts against Bowling Green (May 8), and Toledo (May 11), during the 2021 campaign.
» Scoring 14 runs in the win over Siena Heights, the game marked just the 22nd time in the last 10 seasons that Eastern Michigan has scored more than 14 runs in a game, including the fifth time this season that has happened.
Up Next
Eastern Michigan travels to East Lansing to take on the Spartans of Michigan State University in a single game tomorrow, April 20. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. The contest is the start of a six-game road/neutral site swing that culminates with a game against Alma College, which will take place at Comerica Park Wednesday, April 27.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rubner, Coltrane (1-0)
L: Brad South (1-2)
Batting:
SH: Haydn Smith 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cole VanWasshenova 1
SB: Cole VanWasshenova 1
HBP: Cole VanWasshenova 1 ; Parker Mabe 1 ; Cody Henderson 1
Batting:
2B: Kirk, Matt 1 ; Dolney, Aaron 1 ; Miller, Glenn 2 ; Oberg, Will 2 ; Gora, Eli 1
HR: Warkentin, Daniel 1
RBI: Warkentin, Daniel 2 ; Kirk, Matt 1 ; Dolney, Aaron 2 ; Easter, Shane 1 ; Miller, Glenn 1 ; Taylor, Cory 1 ; Oberg, Will 2 ; Gora, Eli 3 ; Rubner, Coltrane 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Denton, Gabe 1 ; Warkentin, Daniel 2 ; Kirk, Matt 1 ; Dolney, Aaron 1 ; Miller, Glenn 2 ; Hugo, Logan 2 ; Hopkins, Taylor 1 ; Oberg, Will 3 ; Gora, Eli 1
CS: Easter, Shane 1
HBP: Lux, Ryan 1 ; Warkentin, Daniel 1 ; Bault, Christian 1 ; Oberg, Will 1
