Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
0-1
Northern Kentucky
1-0
Kirk Tabs Three Hits as Baseball Falls in Season Opener
2/17/2023 5:21:00 PM | Baseball
The Eagles took an early lead, but ultimately fell, 9-2
Re-Watch the Game.
HOOVER, Ala. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University baseball team got three hits from reigning Mid-American Conference Player of the Year Matt Kirk (Milford, Ohio-Milford-Cypress-Toledo), but it was not enough to lead the Eagles past Northern Kentucky University in the 2023 season debut for both teams. After EMU took a 1-0 lead after the first, the Norse came back to secure a 9-2 victory.
Graduate student Thomas House (Ross, Ohio-Ross) got the ball to start for Eastern Michigan (0-1, 0-0 MAC) and took the loss. Senior Trevor House (Okeana, Ohio-Ross) was a bright spot for the Eagles, coming out of the bullpen and throwing three shutout innings, allowing three hits, with two walks and two strikeouts.
Kirk's three-hit day led the Eagles offensively. Graduate student Taylor Hopkins (Mason, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller) furnished a standout day at the plate as well, going 1-for-2 with a double, a walk and an RBI.
How it Happened
The Eagles got the scoring started early, putting one run on the board in the bottom of the first inning with the game still scoreless. Eastern Michigan plated a run on a bases-loaded walk by Hopkins.
The Norse then rallied to score nine runs and take a 9-1 lead before the Eagles got back on the board in the seventh. Eastern Michigan scored once on a run-scoring single off the bat of Kirk, which brought the score to 9-2 in favor of the NKU. The Eagles were unable to get any closer, as neither team scored again in the ballgame.
Game Notes
» Senior Glenn Miller (Pentwater, Mich.-Pentwater-Spring Arbor) got the season started right as he knocked a single in the first at-bat of the season for Eastern Michigan. Miller is the first Eastern Michigan hitter to notch a hit in the first at-bat of the season since the 2020 campaign, when former Eagle Jeff Timko registered a base hit to open the season against Austin Peay University, Feb. 15.
» Eastern Michigan was able to plate a run in the bottom half of the first inning. It marked the first opening-frame run in an EMU season-opener since it scored the same total in a game at Alabama State, Feb. 27, 2021.
» Eastern Michigan newcomer Kyle Schroedle (Redding, Calif.-University Prep-Crown) fielded a hopper to left field to throw an NKU runner out at third for an out and his first assist as an Eagle. The putout also marked the first of the 2023 regular season for the Eagles.
» Junior Darren Kraft (Mount Pleasant, S.C.-Oceanside Collegiate Academy) made his first career start for Eastern Michigan today, playing first base in his ninth career appearance for the Green and White. Kraft also nabbed the first stolen base of his collegiate career during the second inning. The Mount Pleasant, S.C. native's stolen bag also marks the first of the year for the Eagles as a team.
» Kirk earned his first multi-hit game of the 2023 season Friday afternoon versus NKU, making him the first Eagle to achieve the feat in the new 2023 regular-season. The reigning MAC Player of the Year led the Eagles with 24 multi-hit games last season. Additionally, nine of those games (38%), including today, have seen Kirk record three or more hits.
» Eagles got on the board first via a bases-loaded RBI-walk from Hopkins. It goes down as the 86th RBI for Hopkins.
» The Eagles were perfect defensively today, committing zero errors during the contest versus NKU. Last season, EMU played 22 games where they did not accrue an error. Their record in those games was 10-12.
Historical Notes
» With today's setback, NKU claimed its first-ever win against Eastern Michigan. Prior to today's contest, EMU and NKU had not met on the diamond since the 2014 season, when the Green and White swept a doubleheader, March. 15. The series dates back to the 2013 campaign when the two institutions played a pair of contests.
» With today's loss, Eastern Michigan's opening day record falls to 36-39 in its 75th year of baseball. The Eagles have now lost two consecutive opening day matchups.
» Eastern Michigan baseball has only made four prior trips to Alabama since 1998, making this go-around the fifth. The Green and White have a record of 4-6-1 in those visits to Alabama and, with today's defeat against Northern Kentucky, they fall to 4-7-1 and look to bounce back in the final two games of the series.
Up Next
Eastern Michigan and Northern Kentucky return to the diamond Saturday, Feb. 18, at 1 p.m. CT (2 p.m. ET). Fans can watch the game on Eagle All-Access or the EMU Athletics mobile app with Greg Steiner and Alex Jewell on the call.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: GERL, Ben (1-0)
L: House, Thomas (0-1)
S: BROCK, Clay (1)
Batting:
2B: FISHER, Noah 1 ; SCHNEIDER, Adam 1
HR: FISHER, Noah 1
RBI: MOSS, Treyvin 1 ; VORHEES, Manny 2 ; FISHER, Noah 3 ; McFADDEN-ACKMAN, Lia 1 ; ODOM, John 1
SF: McFADDEN-ACKMAN, Lia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: MOSS, Treyvin 1 ; VORHEES, Manny 1 ; FISHER, Noah 1 ; LANE, Peyton 1 ; SIMPSON, Cleary 1 ; WIMMERS, Nick 2 ; SCHNEIDER, Adam 2
HBP: LANE, Peyton 1
Batting:
2B: Kirk, Matt 1 ; Hopkins, Taylor 1
RBI: Kirk, Matt 1 ; Hopkins, Taylor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Miller, Glenn 2
SB: Kirk, Matt 1 ; Kraft, Darren 1
HBP: Kraft, Darren 1
PO: Hugo, Logan 1
