Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
8-14, 0
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Western Michigan
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Chittum Goes the Distance as Baseball Captures Second Consecutive MAC Series Win
3/24/2024 6:20:00 PM | Baseball
Chittum's nine-inning outing was the first for the Eagles since the 2019 season
Photo Gallery | Re-Watch the Doubleheader | Cinematic Recap of the Weekend
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team secured its second consecutive MAC series win of the season, splitting a Sunday doubleheader with Western Michigan University Sunday, March 24.
How it Happened (Game 1)
Trailing 2-0, the Eagles first put runs on the board in the fourth inning. Eastern Michigan got an RBI single from Aidan Arbogast (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson/Mid-Michigan/Kellogg C.C.), scoring junior Lucas Johnson (Hamilton, Ontario/Westdale Secondary/Wright State) from second base.
The Broncos expanded their lead to 6-1 before the Eagles offense got back to work, cutting into that lead in the seventh. EMU picked up a run on Kyle Schroedle's (Redding, Calif./University Prep/Crown College) leadoff home run, which tightened the Broncos lead to 6-2.
Western built their lead to 8-2 before the Eastern offense got going, reducing that lead to 8-3 in the ninth. The Eagles were unable to get any closer, as neither team scored again in the ballgame.
Game Notes (Game 1)
» The Eagles got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning with an RBI single by Arbogast. The RBI was the infielder's second of the season.
» Schroedle sent a ball over the fence for Eastern Michigan which cut the deficit to four. Schroedle now has a team-leading five home runs and has also reached safely in all but two games this season. He finished the game with two hits, his eighth multi-hit outing of the season.
» Cooper Vance (New Waterford, Ohio/Mohawk) smoked a double in the bottom of the seventh inning and finished the game with two hits. The outing marked Vance's seventh multi-hit game of the season and his second consecutive game with two or more knocks.
» Andrew Dukesherer (Byron Center, Mich./Grandville/Muskegon C.C.) was the first pitcher to enter the game in relief for Eastern Michigan. Pitching three innings, Dukesherer tied a career-long outing, as he also went three innings March 1, against Houston Christian.
» Drew Jones (Cleveland, Ohio/Brush/Ohio State) had a 2-for-4 game at the dish to finish the day with multiple hits. It is his second consecutive multi-hit game of the season.
» Jimmy Kunst (Natrona Heights, Pa./Highlands) came in to pitch the Eagles' top half of the ninth inning, retiring all three batters in order. It is the first time in which he has pitched a shutout inning. Kunst's three punchouts marked a career-best for the freshman.
Historical Notes (Game 1)
» Game one marked the 194th all-time meeting between Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan. Western Michigan leads the series, 98-96.
How it Happened (Game 2)
Riding the hot hand of senior right-hander Nick Chittum (Grosse Ile, Mich./Grosse Ile) throughout the game, the Eagles struck first in the fifth, taking the lead for good, as Schroedle put Eastern Michigan on the board with another solo bomb.
The Eagles then tacked on runs in the sixth inning when they scored twice. Junior Giano Zuccaro's (Middleburg Heights, Ohio/Berea Midpark/Charleston) run-scoring single highlighted the two-run frame, before Cory Taylor (Shelbyville, Ind./Shelbyville) registered an RBI on a sacrifice fly, sent home Johnson.
Game Notes (Game 2)
» Chittum notched a season-high in strikeouts through just four innings, as he made five Broncos return to the dugout on strikes.
» Schroedle sent a ball over the left field wall for the Eagles to give them a 1-0 lead in the fifth. It was his second consecutive game with a homer and extends his team-leading total to six jacks this season. With the long ball, the graduate student has tabbed a homer in consecutive games for the third time in his Eastern Michigan career.
» Zuccaro had an RBI single to increase the lead for Eastern. Zuccaro has 10 RBI this season and is one of seven players on Eastern's Roster who have driven in 10 or more runs.
» Taylor had a strong outing in the second contest of the doubleheader, recording one double and one RBI. The RBI was Taylor's fourth of the weekend series.
» Chittum had an outing to remember for Eastern Michigan. He pitched a Maddux shutout for the Eagles, with 96 pitches, allowing just three hits and walks, while tallying a season-high six strikeouts.
Historical Notes (Game 2)
» Game two marked the 195th all-time meeting between Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan. Western Michigan leads the series by just one game, 98-97.
» With the win over the Broncos, Eastern Michigan has now won two consecutive MAC series to begin conference play in two straight seasons, as it took the first series last season against the Akron Zips, March 10-12, and its second against WMU, March 18-19. The last time Eastern Michigan won back-to-back MAC series to open conference play in consecutive years came in the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
» The Eagles held the Broncos scoreless. The last time Eastern Michigan shut out a MAC opponent came May 11, 2021, when the Eagles beat the University of Toledo 6-0 at Oestrike Stadium.
» Chittum's nine-inning complete game was the first since April 5, 2019, when former Eagle Scott Granzotto threw nine innings in a 3-1 win against Bowling Green State University.
» Chittum became the first EMU pitcher to throw a complete game shutout since Luke McGuire at Bowling Green, May 7, 2021. However, that was only a seven-inning affair. The last time an EMU hurler tossed 9.0 innings without allowing a run was Brent Mattson versus Butler, April 2, 2017. Furthermore, it was the first time an Eastern starter blanked a conference foe in a nine-inning contest since Brad Allen notched a 3-0 complete-game triumph over Bowling Green, March 25, 2017.
Up Next
Eastern Michigan will stay at home for a three-game series against the Chippewas of Central Michigan University, March 28-30. First pitch Thursday is set for 3 p.m. on Eagle All-Access.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: VLCEK, Nolan (1-0)
L: Beckner, Drew (2-3)
S: DORAN, Turner (1)
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Batting:
2B: OSTRANDER, Connor 1
RBI: KITCHEN, Jackson 1 ; SULLIVAN, Cade 1 ; NEVAR, Dylan 3 ; RICHMOND, CJ 1 ; MEE, Grady 1 ; OSTRANDER, Connor 1
SH: KITCHEN, Jackson 1 ; MALONEY, Michael 1 ; HARRITY, Brendan 1
SF: NEVAR, Dylan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: KITCHEN, Jackson 1 ; SULLIVAN, Cade 2 ; RICHMOND, CJ 1 ; BUDIG, Greg 1 ; OSTRANDER, Connor 3
SB: KITCHEN, Jackson 1 ; SULLIVAN, Cade 2
CS: RICHMOND, CJ 1 ; HARRITY, Brendan 1
Batting:
2B: Vance, Cooper 1
HR: Schroedle, Kyle 1
RBI: Vance, Cooper 1 ; Schroedle, Kyle 1 ; Arbogast, Aidan 1
SF: Vance, Cooper 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Johnson, Lucas 1 ; Schroedle, Kyle 2
SB: McRae, Blake 1
