Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
22-23, 8-16
Central Michigan
31-15, 17-7
Eastern Michigan Falters Late at Central Michigan
5/7/2023 4:28:00 PM | Baseball
Hopkins now third in EMU history with 775 at-bats, Taylor records first three-hit game in his collegiate career
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University baseball team took a 2-1 lead into the seventh inning, but could not hang on and fell 7-5 at Central Michigan University Sunday, May 7, in Mid-American Conference action at Theunissen Stadium.
Junior Jagger Jefferies (Barnesville, Ohio-Barnesville-Bryant & Stratton C.C.) (2-2) took the loss on the mound for Eastern Michigan (22-23, 8-16 MAC).
Sophomore Logan Hugo (Essexville, Mich.-Essexville Garber) led the way offensively for the Eagles, going 1-for-3 in the ballgame with a home run, a walk and two RBI. Senior Taylor Hopkins (Mason, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller) compiled a noteworthy day at the dish as well, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk and an RBI. Sophomore Josh Kross (Brunswick, Ohio-Brunswick-Toledo) also chipped in, going 2-for-5 for Eastern Michigan with a home run and an RBI.
How it Happened
The Eagles got on the scoreboard first, starting in the fourth inning. Hopkins put Eastern Michigan on the board with a leadoff home run off senior Garrett Navarra.
The Chippewas failed to push any runs across before the Eagles built on their lead in the sixth inning. Eastern Michigan pushed across a run on senior Aaron Dolney's (Plymouth, Mich.-Detroit Country Day-Nebraska-Hillsborough C.C.) one-out RBI double, which brought the score to 2-0 in favor of the Eagles.
Central Michigan narrowed Eastern Michigan's lead to 2-1 before the Eagles stretched the advantage to 3-1 in the seventh inning. The Eagles added a run on Kross' two-out solo home run off senior Ryan Palmblad.
Eastern Michigan surrendered the lead they built in the seventh, but got back on the board in the eighth trailing 4-3. The Eagles scored twice on Hugo's two-run homer, bringing the Eastern Michigan advantage to 5-4. The Eagles were unable to hold the lead, as Central Michigan scored three times over the remaining one inning to grab the 7-5 win.
Game Notes
» Glenn Miller's (Pentwater, Mich.-Pentwater-Spring Arbor) third inning single gives him a hit in seven straight games, the longest current streak on the team. The base hit goes down as the third baseman's 52nd of the season.
» Cory Taylor (Shelbyville, Ind.-Shelbyville) produced at the plate Sunday afternoon, batting 3-for-5 with a run scored. The sure handed second baseman smoked a double to left center field to kick off the Eagles sixth inning for his 10th double of the season. The Shelbyville, Ind. native joins Matt Kirk (Milford, Ohio-Milford-Cypress-Toledo) (22), Kross (14), and Miller (13) as Eagles with double-digit doubles on the season. Lastly, Taylor recorded his first three hit game in his collegiate baseball career and tabbed his 11th multi-hit game this season.
» Dolney doubled to center field in the sixth inning, scoring Taylor for his fifth double and 33rd RBI of the 2023 regular season.
» Kross crushed a solo shot to left center field in the top of the seventh, extending the Eagles' lead at the time to two, and marking his 13th home run of the 2023 season. Additionally, Kross finished the day with two hits for his 24th contest with multiple knocks. The slugging first baseman is now just four home runs away from tying his teammate, Kirk, and many other former Eagles for fourth in EMU baseball history with 17 long balls in a single season.
» Hugo sent a no doubter over the Keilitz Field walls in the top of the eighth inning. It was a two-run shot, giving Hugo his fifth homer of the season, bringing his RBI total to 21. The sophomore's homer Sunday afternoon marked a career high as he surpassed his total of four home runs from the 2022 season. Also, the Essexville, Mich. native has tripled his extra-base-hit total from last season, now with 15 extra-base-knocks on the 2023 season.
» Sam Reed (Carmel, Ind.-Brebeuf Jesuit Prep) had another quality start, pitching 6.2 innings, allowing six hits and three runs while striking out and walking three each. The freshman left-hander's 6.2 innings Sunday afternoon mark the third time this season he has gone at least six innings in a start. This ranks the second most on the team as Luke Russo (Howell, Mich.-Howell) and Thomas House (Ross, Ohio-Ross) have each accomplished the feat four times.
» The Eagles sent three balls over the Keilitz Field walls in today's contest, marking the 20th multi-homer game for EMU as a team. This typically bodes well for Eastern, as they have a 13-7 record this season when hitting multiple home runs. The 2023 team is just one multi-homer game shy of matching last year's squad. The 2022 team tallied 21 multi-homer games, producing a 10-11 record in such games.
Historical Notes
» Sunday afternoon's contest marked the 179th all-time meeting between the Eagles and Chippewas. After today's game, Eastern Michigan still holds the all-time edge in the series with a 96-83 record after today's contest.
» Hopkins made history with his at-bat in the fourth inning. Not only did the shortstop hit his eighth home run of the season, tying his career-high from the 2021 season, but he also passed former Eagle Brent Ohrman (2009-14) for third in all-time Eastern Michigan baseball history with 773 at-bats. The Mason, Ohio native finished the day 2-for-3 at the dish, scoring two runs and driving in one. Hopkins now has 17 multi-hit games and 11 outings with multiple runs scored in the 2023 campaign.
Up Next
Another in-state opponent lies ahead for the Eagles, this time the Michigan State University Spartans. Eastern and MSU will meet Wednesday, May 10, at 6:30 p.m. at Jackson Field in Lansing, Mich.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ryan Insco (1-1)
L: Jefferis, Jagger (2-2)
S: Christian Mitchelle (1)
Batting:
2B: Taylor, Cory 1 ; Dolney, Aaron 1
HR: Kross, Josh 1 ; Hopkins, Taylor 1 ; Hugo, Logan 1
RBI: Kross, Josh 1 ; Hopkins, Taylor 1 ; Dolney, Aaron 1 ; Hugo, Logan 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Kross, Josh 1 ; Taylor, Cory 1 ; Hopkins, Taylor 2 ; Hugo, Logan 1
SB: Hopkins, Taylor 1
CS: Miller, Glenn 1
HBP: Hopkins, Taylor 1
Batting:
2B: Justin Simpson 1 ; Christian Mitchelle 2
3B: Luke Sefcik 1
HR: Luke Sefcik 1
RBI: Justin Simpson 2 ; Luke Sefcik 3 ; Christian Mitchelle 1
SH: Jacob Donahue 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Justin Simpson 1 ; Marquis Jackson 1 ; Luke Sefcik 1 ; Nick Dardas 1 ; Christian Mitchelle 2 ; Jacob Donahue 1
SB: Justin Simpson 1 ; Marquis Jackson 1 ; Luke Sefcik 1 ; Christian Mitchelle 1 ; Jacob Donahue 2
CS: Justin Simpson 1
HBP: Justin Simpson 1 ; Jacob Donahue 1
PO: Justin Simpson 1
