Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
11-12, 4-7
Ohio
9-14, 7-4
Eagles Fight Hard, Drop Two Games to Ohio in Doubleheader Action
4/2/2023 5:45:00 PM | Baseball
Russo tallied eight strikeouts in game one, while Kross notched three hits in game two.
GAME 1 | Ohio 8, Eastern Michigan 4
GAME 2 | Ohio 6, Eastern Michigan 4
ATHENS, Ohio – (EMUEagles.com) - Senior Luke Russo (Howell, Mich.-Howell) was dominant on Sunday, April 2, fanning eight Ohio University hitters over five innings of work in game one of the doubleheader action, despite losing 8-4. Josh Kross (Brunswick, Ohio.-Brunswick-Toledo) racked up three hits in game two as the Eagles dropped the second game, 6-4, to the Ohio Bobcats.
In game one, Russo threw five innings, giving up two runs, both of them earned, on four hits and walking none for Eastern Michigan (11-12, 4-7). Senior Tyler Helgeson (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) also made an impact on the mound for the Eagles, throwing two shutout innings while allowing one hit.
Kross led the way offensively for the Eagles, going 2-for-4 in the ballgame with a home run and two RBI's. Senior Taylor Hopkins (Mason, Ohio.-Archbishop Moeller) furnished a standout day at the plate, going 1-for-4 with a home run and an RBI. Junior Darren Kraft (Mount Pleasant, S.C.-Oceanside Collegiate Academy) also contributed to the EMU offense going 2-for-4 for Eastern Michigan with an RBI.
In the second game, Nick Chittum (Grosse, Ile, Mich.-Grosse Ile) (1-2) got the rock to start for the Green and White (11-13, 4-8) and ultimacy took the loss.
In addition to his three hits, Kross had a double to lead the Eagles. Kyle Schroedle (Redding, Calif.-University Prep-Crown College) put together a standout performance at the dish as well, going 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI's. Cory Taylor (Shelbyville, Ind.-Shelbyville) also contributed for Eastern Michigan, putting together two hits in four trips to the plate while adding a double and an RBI.
How it Happened – Game 1
The Eagles got on the board immediately, starting their scoring with two runs in the top of the first inning. Eastern Michigan's offense produced a three-run output that included back-to-back homers from Kross and Hopkins.
The Eagles then lost some of their lead, expanding on their advantage in the fourth inning after the Bobcats cut it to 3-2. Eastern Michigan scored once on an RBI single off the bat of Kraft, which brought the score to 4-2 in favor of EMU. The Eagles were unable to hold the lead, as Ohio scored six times over the remaining five innings to grab the 8-4 win.
Game Notes – Game 1
» Finishing the game 2-for-3 at the dish with a homerun and two RBI's, Kross tallied his third straight multi-hit game, and increased his team best in the category, now with 12 in the 2023 season.
» Kraft roped a groundball through the left side of the infield in the top-half of the fourth inning to score Aaron Dolney (Plymouth, Mich.-Detroit Country Day-Nebraska-Hillsborough C.C.). The RBI goes down as the Oceanside, SC. native's fourth of the season, and seventh overall in his collegiate career. The 6-foot-1 infielder finished the game going a clean 2-for-2 at the plate, marking the second career multi-hit game for Kraft as he went a perfect 2-for-2 with a run scored in his very first game as an Eagle, a 13-4 loss to Tennessee Tech in the 2022 season-opener, Feb. 25, 2022.
» Russo continues to impress on the bump this season. The senior struck out eight Bobcat batters in game one of Sunday's double header, making it the second time in Russo's last three appearances where he has notched eight strikeouts. The Howell, Mich. native's eight strikeouts ties an individual season high for Eastern Michigan pitchers as both Thomas House (Ross, Ohio.-Ross) and Chittum have sat down eight in one game this season along with Russo, who has done it twice. House struck out eight in a 2-1 loss versus Ball State, March 24, while Chittum punched out eight in a 6-5 win over Akron, March 12. Furthermore, Russo ranks best on the EMU team in strikeouts with 49, and currently ranks sixth in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in earned run average (3.78) and third in total strikeouts (49).
» Going 2-for-4 at the dish in game one, Schroedle tallied his fifth multi-hit game as an Eagle and has now established a three-game hit streak.
» With a 2-for-4 performance from the plate today, Glenn Miller (Pentwater, Mich.-Pentwater-Spring Arbor) captured his ninth multi-hit game of the 2023 season, and 15 of the senior's EMU career. Miller is now ranked second best on Eastern Michigan in multi-hit games this season behind Kross (12).
How it Happened – Game 2
The Eagles were trailing 2-0 in the fourth inning when they first put runs on the board. Eastern Michigan scored three runs in the frame, highlighted by a two-RBI double from Schroedle.
The Green and White lost the lead they built in the fourth, but got back on the board in the eighth trailing 6-3. Eastern Michigan pushed across a run on Taylor's two-out RBI double, which brought the score to 6-4 in favor of the Bobcats. The Eagles were unable to get any closer, as neither team scored again in the ballgame.
Game Notes – Game 2
» Schroedle followed up his 2-for-4 performance in game one of the doubleheader by drilling a double to the left-field corner in the top of the fourth inning. The Redding, Calif. native's double goes down as the third of his EMU career, and the graduate students first ever RBI double since he dawned the Green and White this season.
» Kraft sent a double down the left-field line in the fourth inning. Scoring Schroedle, it was the junior's first double of the 2023 season, along with his fifth RBI. Moreover, with hits in both games of Sunday's doubleheader, Kraft has had a hit in consecutive games for the first time in his career.
» With a 3-for-4 outing at the plate in game two, Kross tallied his fourth three-hit game of the season, ranking second on the team behind Matt Kirk (Milford, Ohio.-Milford-Cypress-Toledo) with five.
» Coming in to relieve Chittum in the bottom of the sixth, Jagger Jefferis (Barnesville, Ohio.-Barnesville-Bryant & Stratton College) had a career shift on the bump for the Eagles. The 5-foot-10 left-hander struck out an EMU career-high three Ohio batters and allowed just one hit and one earned run in 2.1 innings of work, his longest stint on the mound as an Eagle.
» Taylor doubled to left-center field in the top of the eight to score Hopkins. As a much-improved hitter in 2023, the double goes down as the junior's sixth of the season, along with his 13 RBI.
» Kirk went 2-for-4 at the plate in game two with a double and stolen base. This marks Kirk's fifth multi-hit performance of the 2023 campaign, as well as his team and MAC leading 13 double of the season.
» The Eagles were one shy of tying their season-high in doubles (6) in game two of the doubleheader. Eastern Michigan tallied six doubles in a 9-0 shutout win over Towson, March 4.
Historical Notes
» In game one, Eastern Michigan hit back-to-back homeruns in consecutive games for the first time in the Head Coach Eric Roof era. Schroedle and Dolney each sent one over the wall in consecutive at bats in Saturday afternoon's 7-6 loss to the Bobcats, while Kross and Hopkins both went yard in the top-half of the first inning in consecutive at bats in game one of a double header Sunday afternoon. The homers go down as Kross and Hopkins' fifth and sixth of the 2023 campaign, respectively. With the long-ball in the top of the first, Hopkins now takes the team lead in homers for the Green and White (6).
» With a loss in the second game of the doubleheader, the Eagles now shift to a 28-34 all-time record when facing the Ohio Bobcats.
Up Next
The Eagles will remain in the state of Ohio for a midweek clash with the Zips of Akron this Tuesday, April 4 at 3:00 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: H. Boncal (2-1)
L: Chittum, Nick (1-2)
S: B. Kelly (3)
Batting:
2B: Kirk, Matt 1 ; Kross, Josh 1 ; Schroedle, Kyle 1 ; Taylor, Cory 1 ; Kraft, Darren 1
RBI: Schroedle, Kyle 2 ; Taylor, Cory 1 ; Kraft, Darren 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kross, Josh 1 ; Hopkins, Taylor 2 ; Schroedle, Kyle 1
SB: Kirk, Matt 1
CS: Kross, Josh 1
HBP: Kirk, Matt 1
PO: Taylor, Cory 1
Batting:
HR: M. Minzey 1 ; A. Finney 1
RBI: A. Patino 1 ; M. Minzey 1 ; A. Finney 3
SH: G. Antle 1
SF: A. Patino 1
Base Running:
RUNS: A. Rausch 1 ; M. Minzey 1 ; C. Kasperbau 2 ; G. Antle 1 ; A. Finney 1
SB: A. Rausch 2 ; C. Kasperbau 1 ; G. Antle 2
CS: A. Rausch 1
HBP: C. Kasperbau 1 ; G. Antle 1
