Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
16-17, 6-12
Bowling Green
13-19, 8-10
Eagles Drop Both Games in Doubleheader Action to Bowling Green
4/15/2023 6:40:00 PM | Baseball
EMU’s offense rolled with 17 runs on Saturday
GAME 1 | Bowling Green 11, Eastern Michigan 9
GAME 2 | Bowling Green 13, Eastern Michigan 8
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University baseball took a 7-5 lead into the seventh inning, but could not hang on and fell 11-9 to the Bowling Green State University Falcons Saturday, April 15, in game one of a doubleheader.
Junior Bobby Jones (Loveland, Ohio-St.Xavier-Xavier) (0-4) took the loss on the mound for Eastern Michigan.
Sophomore Josh Kross (Brunswick, Ohio-Brunswick-Toledo) led the way offensively for the Eagles, going 3-for-4 in the ballgame with a double, a home run, a walk and three RBIs. Junior Cory Taylor (Shelbyville, Ind.-Shelbyville) furnished a noteworthy performance at the dish as well, going 1-for-3 with a home run, two walks and an RBI. Senior Taylor Hopkins (Mason, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller) also chipped in, going 1-for-4 for Eastern Michigan with a double, a walk and two RBIs.
In the second game, Eastern Michigan received contributions from every part of their lineup, as all nine starters reached base safely, but the Eagles fell to the Bowling Green Falcons 13-8.
Senior Nick Chittum (Grosse Ile, Mich.-Grosse Ile) (1-4) got the ball to start for Eastern Michigan (16-17, 6-12 MAC) and took the loss.
At the plate, the Eagles were paced by junior Darren Kraft (Mount Pleasant, S.C.-Oceanside Collegiate Academy), who went 2-for-4 on the day with a home run and an RBI. Taylor put together a noteworthy performance at the dish as well, going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Senior Glenn Miller (Pentwater, Mich.-Pentwater-Spring Arbor) also contributed for Eastern Michigan, putting together one hit in three trips to the plate while adding a double, two walks and an RBI.
How it Happened – Game 1
The Eagles got the scoring started early, putting one run on the board in the top of the first inning. Kross put Eastern Michigan on the board with a two-out solo home run off junior Peyton Wilson.
The Eagles lost the lead they built in the first, but got back on the board in the third trailing 5-1. Eastern Michigan scored three runs in the frame, buoyed by a two-RBI double from Hopkins, which tightened the Falcons lead to 5-4.
Eastern Michigan kept the Falcons off the board before rallying to snatch a 7-5 lead in the fourth. The Eagles notched three runs in the frame, two of them coming across on a two-RBI double from Kross.
Eastern Michigan gave up the lead they built in the fourth, but got back on the scoreboard in the ninth trailing 11-7. The Eagles scored twice, with one run coming across on Miller's 2-out single, bringing the score to 11-9 in favor of Bowling Green. The ballgame ended with that ninth inning rally falling short.
Game Notes – Game 1
» Kross started the game strong with a solo home run to right-center field in the top of the first inning. Kross now has nine homers on the year, a team-high for the Eagles. The first baseman now has a homer in three of his last four games and an RBI in five consecutive games. Kross proved to be the foundational piece of Eastern's offense in game one as he finished the day 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBIs. The Brunswick, Ohio native's three RBIs mark his fourth time this year reaching the mark, as well as the eighth three-hit game of the season. Both are the most of any EMU batter. Lastly, Kross continues to climb the Mid-American Conference RBI ranking as the sophomore now sits second in the conference with 39 driven in on the 2023 season.
» Hopkins doubled to left-center field in the top of the third inning. Scoring Kross and Matt Kirk (Milford, Ohio-Milford-Cypress-Toledo), the double goes down as the graduate student's seventh two-bagger of the season, and brings his RBI total up to 33 this season. Additionally, the Mason, Ohio native has an extra-base-hit and RBI in three straight games.
» Taylor hit a solo home run to left-center field in the top of the fourth inning. This marks Taylor's fifth long ball of the season. Finishing the game 1-for-3 with an RBI, two runs scored, and two walks, the homer goes down as the fifth of the season for the Shelbyville, Ind. native. Furthermore, the junior now has an RBI in three of his last five appearances. Lastly, Taylor's two walks tied a season high.
» Aaron Dolney (Plymouth, Mich.-Detroit Country Day-Nebraska-Hillsborough C.C.) doubled down the right field line in the top of the seventh inning for his third double and eighth extra-base-hit of the season. The senior catcher also tallied two hits in game one today, for his sixth multi-hit game of the 2023 campaign.
» The Eagles amassed 11 hits in game one Saturday afternoon, marking their 18th game doing so this season. After game one today, the Green and White have a 12-6 record when tallying double digit hits this season.
» Kirk contributed, going 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, marking his 15th multi-hit game and 24th RBI this season.
» Cole Wilcox (Shiocton, Wisc.-Shiocton-Lake County) pinch ran for Logan Milene (Rochester, Minn.-Rochester Century-North Iowa Area C.C.) in the top of the ninth inning and stole second base for his ninth stolen base of the season. Wilcox would advance to third base on a wild-pitch before being sent home by Dolney for the 6-foot-4 Plymouth, Mich. native's second hit of the game and 24th RBI of the season.
» Logan Hugo (Essexville, Mich.-Essexville Garber) tied a career high with two walks in game one. This is the first time the sophomore has tallied multiple walks in a single game this season after accomplishing the feat four times in his freshman season.
» Miller singled to right field to score Hugo in the ninth for his 36th hit and 14th RBI this season. Miller has excelled at driving runners in with an RBI in four of his last five games.
How it Happened – Game 2
The Eagles were trailing 8-0 in the fourth inning when they first put runs on the board. Eastern Michigan's offense started clicking and put up five runs, including a two-run double off the bat of Taylor.
The Falcons expanded their lead to 9-5 before the Eagles offense got back to work, cutting into that lead in the fifth. Eastern Michigan picked up a run on Kraft's one-out solo home run off of senior Tyler Hays, which tightened the Falcons lead to 9-6.
Bowling Green expanded their lead to 13-6 before the Eastern Michigan offense got going, reducing that lead to 13-8 in the ninth. The Eagles scored twice, with one run coming across on Hopkins' single. The ballgame ended with that ninth inning rally falling short.
Game Notes – Game 2
» Hugo singled to center field to score Kraft for his fourth RBI of the series and 12th of the 2023 season.
» Eastern Michigan scored five runs in the fourth inning with a frenzy of extra base hits. First, Taylor roped a double to center field to drive in two runs. Taylor now has three RBIs during the series and 23 for the season. Next, Miller sent a two-bagger down the right field line to score Taylor, with his RBI today, Miller is one game away from tying his season-long RBI streak of four games. Lastly, Kirk lined one up the middle for two bases and scored Miller. Marking the Milford, Ohio native's team and conference leading 16th double of the season.
» The Green and White plated five runs in the fourth inning in game two Saturday afternoon. This marks Eastern Michigan's 14th inning scoring more than four runs this season.
» Kraft continues to swing a hot bat for EMU as the hard hitting sent his fifth homer of the season over the walls of Steller Field Saturday afternoon. Moreover, Kraft has picked up the pace pertaining to his power as all five of his home runs this season have come in his last nine games played. The Mount Pleasant, S.C. native finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate for his fifth multi-hit game of the season.
» Kross singled in the top of the ninth to score Taylor for his 40th RBI of the season. Kross is the first Eagle to reach the 40 RBI mark so far this season. Also, with an RBI in game two, Kross has recorded at least one RBI in six straight games, the longest streak of his collegiate career.
» Hopkins continued EMU's ninth inning rally with a single down the right field line, scoring Kyle Schroedle (Redding, Calif.-University Prep-Crown College). This marked the Mason, Ohio native's 34th RBI of the season, and fifth straight game recording one.
» Tyler Helgeson (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) pitched one inning in the second game Saturday afternoon, and tied a season-high with two strikeouts as the 6-foot-4 senior also punched out two in Eastern's 11-10 win over Towson University, March 3.
» Joe Grassi (Holidaysburg, Pa.-Holidaysburg Area-Harford C.C.) came in to relieve Chittum in the bottom of the fifth inning and pitched three innings, tying his longest stint on the mound this season. The left hander also threw three innings versus Towson, March 5, and Western Michigan University, March 18.
Historical Notes – Game 1
» Game one today marked the 187th all-time meeting between Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green, with today's result, the Eagles now hold a 111-76 record when facing the Falcons.
Historical Notes – Game 2
» Game two Saturday afternoon marked the 188th all-time meeting between Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green, with today's result, the Eagles now hold a 111-77 record when facing the Falcons.
Up Next
Eastern Michigan will head back to Oestrike Stadium to take on the University of Akron Zips for the fifth time this season. The game will take place Tuesday, April 18, at 3 p.m. The game can be streamed on Eagle All-Access. Fans can also follow @EMU_Baseball on Twitter for live in-game updates.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hays,Tyler (1-3)
L: Chittum, Nick (1-4)
Batting:
2B: Miller, Glenn 1 ; Kirk, Matt 1 ; Taylor, Cory 1
HR: Kraft, Darren 1
RBI: Miller, Glenn 1 ; Kirk, Matt 1 ; Kross, Josh 1 ; Hopkins, Taylor 1 ; Kraft, Darren 1 ; Hugo, Logan 1 ; Taylor, Cory 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Miller, Glenn 1 ; Schroedle, Kyle 1 ; Kraft, Darren 2 ; Milene, Logan 1 ; Hugo, Logan 1 ; Taylor, Cory 2
HBP: Kraft, Darren 1 ; Hugo, Logan 1
Batting:
2B: Gurney,Kyle 1 ; Rose,Nathan 2 ; Archer,Nathan 1 ; Ross,Tyler 1 ; Fugitt,Justin 1
HR: Gurney,Kyle 1 ; Archer,Nathan 1
RBI: Gurney,Kyle 2 ; Seidel, Sam 1 ; Rose,Nathan 3 ; Archer,Nathan 3 ; Ross,Tyler 1 ; Fugitt,Justin 1 ; Banjoff,Leighton 2
SF: Archer,Nathan 1 ; Banjoff,Leighton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Newman, Dj 1 ; Gurney,Kyle 3 ; Seidel, Sam 2 ; Rose,Nathan 2 ; Archer,Nathan 2 ; Ross,Tyler 1 ; Fugitt,Justin 1 ; Montgomery,Mason 1
SB: Seidel, Sam 1 ; Fugitt,Justin 2
CS: Banjoff,Leighton 1
HBP: Fugitt,Justin 1
