Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, February 24
Evansville, Ind.
2 p.m. CT
Eastern Michigan University
2-4
7
at
4
Southern Indiana
1-5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Eastern Michigan
0
2
3
1
0
0
0
1
0
7
14
0
Southern Indiana
0
0
2
0
0
0
1
0
1
4
8
1
EMU Hitters Pass the Bat in 7-4 Victory over Screaming Eagles
2/24/2024 6:09:00 PM | Baseball
All starters produced a single hit in the win
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team was triumphant in the second game of the series at the University of Southern Indiana Saturday, Feb. 25, topping the Screaming Eagles 7-4 as all EMU starters contributed a single hit or more in the non-conference victory.
Junior Drew Beckner (Westerville, Ohio Big Walnut Charleston) (1-1) got the win for Eastern Michigan (2-4, 0-0 MAC). The southpaw went 5.2 innings, giving up two runs, both of them earned, on six hits, allowing three walks and striking out five.
Offensively, the Eagles were led by sophomore Cooper Vance (New Waterford, Ohio/Mohawk), who went 2-for-5 on the day with a double, a home run, and three RBI. Senior Blake McRae (Armada, Mich./Romeo/Lansing C.C.) furnished a noteworthy day at the dish as well, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Freshman Nathan Ball (Bay City, Mich. Bay City John Glenn) also chipped in for Eastern Michigan, putting together two hits in four trips to the plate while adding a double.
How it Happened:
The Eagles put runs on the scoreboard first, starting the scoring in the second inning. Eastern Michigan plated two runs when McRae left the yard with junior Giano Zuccaro (Middleburg Heights, Ohio/Berea Midpark/Charleston) aboard.
The Eagles then held the Screaming Eagles scoreless before getting back on the board the very next inning. EMU scored three runs in the frame, buoyed by a two-run homer from Vance, which brought the score to 5-0 in favor of the Eagles.
Southern Indiana narrowed Eastern Michigan's lead to 5-2 before the Eagles stretched the advantage to 6-2 in the fourth inning. The Green and White scored a run on Vance's two-out RBI double.
Southern Indiana gained ground, closing the gap to 6-3 until Eastern Michigan added some insurance in the eighth. The Eagles scored once on an RBI single off the bat of junior Brendan Kleiman (Olney, Md./Sherwood/Frederick C.C.), bringing the Eastern Michigan advantage to 7-3. Southern Indiana put one run on the scoreboard before the game was over, but the Eagles still held on for the 7-4 win.
Game Notes:
» Every Eagles starter reached base safely in the win marking the second consecutive time accomplishing the feat this season after doing so in the first game of the series at Southern Indiana. However, this time, every starter produced a single hit or more for the first time this season.
» Vance led the Eagles at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, and three RBI.
» The Eagles' power output was led by Vance, who compiled two extra base hits in the ballgame including his first career homer, a two-run bomb over the left field fence. The two extra base hits mark the 4th and 5th of the season for the Ohio native.
» McRae's homer also left the park via left field marking the graduate student's first of the season and third of his career. The home run in the second paired with a single in the third added to McRae's six total career extra base hit games.
» With McRae and Vance's homers in the win, the Eastern Michigan offense has seen five different Eagles homer at least once in a game six times this season. One year ago, EMU homered just five times through the first six games of the season from three different former Eagles.
» Five EMU hitters had multiple base knocks in the ballgame as McRae, Vance, Kleiman, Ball, and Logan Hugo (Essexville, Mich./Essexville Garber) recorded two hits each. It marked the second time EMU has seen five Eagles earn a hit in multiple at-bats and the first since the third game at Belmont, Feb. 18.
» After seeing four Eagles produce multiple hits in a single game the night before, the Eagles have now seen three or more hitters string together two or more hits in a single game in four consecutive contests.
» Finishing the game with 14 hits, the Eagles tabbed four consecutive games with double-digit hits for the first time in the 2024 season. Last season, EMU accomplished the feat in four straight games two times with the longest streak being seven from April 9, 2023-April, 18, 2023. Additionally, the Eagles out-hit the USI at a 14-8 clip.
» Eastern Michigan pitchers produced a season-high tying nine strikeouts in the game once more after doing so the night before. Before yesterday's game, the last time the Eagles sat nine batters down was when they did so in the second game of the Belmont series, Feb. 17.
» Eastern Michigan went 3-for-6 (.500) with runners in scoring position. On the other end, EMU pitchers limited Southern Indiana to just 1-for-16 (.063) with runners in scoring position.
» Eastern Michigan pitchers faced 44 Southern Indiana hitters in the game, allowing five ground balls and 12 fly balls while striking out nine.
» The Eagles earned their second win of the season after claiming their first in a 16-6 victory over Belmont, Feb. 18. Additionally, the Green and White have strung together seven or more runs in four consecutive contests with the 16 marking as the season high.
Historical Notes
» The Eagles of Eastern Michigan and the Screaming Eagles of Southern Indiana faced off for the second time in each of their respective program histories with the Eagles leveling the all-time series record at 1-1.
Up Next
EMU will finish the series at Southern Indiana Sunday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. CT. in Evansville, Ind.
Junior Drew Beckner (Westerville, Ohio Big Walnut Charleston) (1-1) got the win for Eastern Michigan (2-4, 0-0 MAC). The southpaw went 5.2 innings, giving up two runs, both of them earned, on six hits, allowing three walks and striking out five.
Offensively, the Eagles were led by sophomore Cooper Vance (New Waterford, Ohio/Mohawk), who went 2-for-5 on the day with a double, a home run, and three RBI. Senior Blake McRae (Armada, Mich./Romeo/Lansing C.C.) furnished a noteworthy day at the dish as well, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI. Freshman Nathan Ball (Bay City, Mich. Bay City John Glenn) also chipped in for Eastern Michigan, putting together two hits in four trips to the plate while adding a double.
How it Happened:
The Eagles put runs on the scoreboard first, starting the scoring in the second inning. Eastern Michigan plated two runs when McRae left the yard with junior Giano Zuccaro (Middleburg Heights, Ohio/Berea Midpark/Charleston) aboard.
The Eagles then held the Screaming Eagles scoreless before getting back on the board the very next inning. EMU scored three runs in the frame, buoyed by a two-run homer from Vance, which brought the score to 5-0 in favor of the Eagles.
Southern Indiana narrowed Eastern Michigan's lead to 5-2 before the Eagles stretched the advantage to 6-2 in the fourth inning. The Green and White scored a run on Vance's two-out RBI double.
Southern Indiana gained ground, closing the gap to 6-3 until Eastern Michigan added some insurance in the eighth. The Eagles scored once on an RBI single off the bat of junior Brendan Kleiman (Olney, Md./Sherwood/Frederick C.C.), bringing the Eastern Michigan advantage to 7-3. Southern Indiana put one run on the scoreboard before the game was over, but the Eagles still held on for the 7-4 win.
Game Notes:
» Every Eagles starter reached base safely in the win marking the second consecutive time accomplishing the feat this season after doing so in the first game of the series at Southern Indiana. However, this time, every starter produced a single hit or more for the first time this season.
» Vance led the Eagles at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, and three RBI.
» The Eagles' power output was led by Vance, who compiled two extra base hits in the ballgame including his first career homer, a two-run bomb over the left field fence. The two extra base hits mark the 4th and 5th of the season for the Ohio native.
» McRae's homer also left the park via left field marking the graduate student's first of the season and third of his career. The home run in the second paired with a single in the third added to McRae's six total career extra base hit games.
» With McRae and Vance's homers in the win, the Eastern Michigan offense has seen five different Eagles homer at least once in a game six times this season. One year ago, EMU homered just five times through the first six games of the season from three different former Eagles.
» Five EMU hitters had multiple base knocks in the ballgame as McRae, Vance, Kleiman, Ball, and Logan Hugo (Essexville, Mich./Essexville Garber) recorded two hits each. It marked the second time EMU has seen five Eagles earn a hit in multiple at-bats and the first since the third game at Belmont, Feb. 18.
» After seeing four Eagles produce multiple hits in a single game the night before, the Eagles have now seen three or more hitters string together two or more hits in a single game in four consecutive contests.
» Finishing the game with 14 hits, the Eagles tabbed four consecutive games with double-digit hits for the first time in the 2024 season. Last season, EMU accomplished the feat in four straight games two times with the longest streak being seven from April 9, 2023-April, 18, 2023. Additionally, the Eagles out-hit the USI at a 14-8 clip.
» Eastern Michigan pitchers produced a season-high tying nine strikeouts in the game once more after doing so the night before. Before yesterday's game, the last time the Eagles sat nine batters down was when they did so in the second game of the Belmont series, Feb. 17.
» Eastern Michigan went 3-for-6 (.500) with runners in scoring position. On the other end, EMU pitchers limited Southern Indiana to just 1-for-16 (.063) with runners in scoring position.
» Eastern Michigan pitchers faced 44 Southern Indiana hitters in the game, allowing five ground balls and 12 fly balls while striking out nine.
» The Eagles earned their second win of the season after claiming their first in a 16-6 victory over Belmont, Feb. 18. Additionally, the Green and White have strung together seven or more runs in four consecutive contests with the 16 marking as the season high.
Historical Notes
» The Eagles of Eastern Michigan and the Screaming Eagles of Southern Indiana faced off for the second time in each of their respective program histories with the Eagles leveling the all-time series record at 1-1.
Up Next
EMU will finish the series at Southern Indiana Sunday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. CT. in Evansville, Ind.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Beckner, Drew (1-1)
L: Seeman, C. (0-1)
S: Pirkle, Aaron (1)
Batting:
2B: Vance, Cooper 1 ; Schroedle, Kyle 1 ; Ball, Nathan 1
HR: Vance, Cooper 1 ; McRae, Blake 1
RBI: Vance, Cooper 3 ; McRae, Blake 3 ; Kleiman, Brendan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hugo, Logan 2 ; Vance, Cooper 1 ; Zuccaro, Giano 1 ; Schroedle, Kyle 1 ; McRae, Blake 1 ; Ball, Nathan 1
Batting:
2B: Niehaus, C. 1 ; Emerich, T. 1
RBI: Van Grieken 1 ; Boyd, C. 1 ; Crowden, L. 1 ; Emerich, T. 1
SH: Van Grieken 1
SF: Crowden, L. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rothschild 1 ; Niehaus, C. 2 ; Van Grieken 1
SB: Rothschild 2 ; Boyd, C. 2 ; Emerich, T. 1
HBP: Ebest, T. 3
PO: Emerich, T. 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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