Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
11-15, 0
Central Michigan
8-20, 0
EMU Uses Ninth Inning Rally to Walk-Off CMU, 6-5, Captures Series Win
3/30/2024 5:26:00 PM | Baseball
With the win, the Eagles have taken series from WMU and CMU in the same season for the first time since 2012
Watch Arbogast's Walk-Off Sacrifice Fly | Re-watch the Game.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Eastern Michigan University rallied to score five runs in the ninth inning and walked it off with junior Aidan Arbogast at the plate to pick up the 6-5 win over Central Michigan University Saturday, March 30, at Oestrike Stadium.
Sophomore Aaron Pirkle (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany) (1-1) got the win out of the bullpen for Eastern Michigan (11-15, 6-3 Mid-American Conference). The southpaw went three shutout innings, giving up one hit, three walks and striking out three.
In the batter's box, the Eagles were paced by junior Logan Hugo (Essexville, Mich./Essexville Garber), who went 2-for-4 on the day with two RBI. Senior Cory Taylor (Shelbyville, Ind./Shelbyville) compiled a noteworthy effort as well, going 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Sophomore Cooper Vance (New Waterford, Ohio/Mohawk) also chipped in for EMU, putting together one hit in three trips to the plate with a triple and an RBI.
How it Happened
Trailing 3-0, the Eagles first put runs on the board in the sixth inning. Eastern Michigan scratched across a run when Vance tripled in Arbogast (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson/Mid-Michigan/Kellogg C.C.).
Central Michigan extended their lead to 5-1 before Eastern rallied to score five times in the bottom half of the ninth to claim victory, walking it off when senior Cole Wilcox (Shiocton, Wis./Shiocton/Lake County) came across to score.
Game Notes
» Vance hit a triple to drive in Eastern Michigan's first run of the day. The triple was his first of the season, and brought in his 18th RBI. It was also the fifth triple the Eagles have hit as a team for the 2024 season.
» Pirkle was one of three pitchers who came on in relief for the Eagles. The lefty pitched a scoreless outing of 2.2 innings. It was the first time this season in which he has pitched an outing of zero earned runs while recording more than five outs. Also credited as the winning pitcher, Pirkle captured his first win on the mound as an Eagle.
» Taylor recorded the second extra base hit of the day for the Eagles with a double to left center in the ninth, plating two runs. It is his seventh game this season with multiple RBI in a game, also marking his second consecutive game doing so.
» Hugo recorded two singles in the contest, including one in the ninth inning to tie the game at five. The game is the Essexville native's fifth multi-hit game of 2024. Hugo also tallied two RBI, his fourth time doing so this season
» Arbogast had a hit earlier in the contest and ultimately recorded the game-winning sacrifice fly which capped off a five-run ninth inning. The inning was the 11th time in which Eastern has scored four or more runs in a single inning this year.
» The Eagles were trailing by a score of 5-1 in the top of the ninth inning. It is the second occurrence where EMU has come back when trailing in the ninth frame this season, and its second in three games, as Eastern also walked-off the Chippewas in Thursday's contest, 5-4, March 28.
Historical Notes
» Saturday's match up marked the 182nd all-time meeting between the Eagles and Chippewas. Eastern holds a 98-84 record when facing CMU.
» With today's win over the Chippewas, the Eagles have taken a series from both Western Michigan University and Central Michigan in the same season for the first time since the 2012 campaign.
» With today's win, Eastern has taken a series from Central Michigan for the first time since the 2018 season, when it took two-of-three from the Chippewas in Mount Pleasant, May 4-6. It also serves as the first time the Eagles have won a home series against CMU since the 2016 campaign, a series that saw the Eagles win the first two games, April 29-May 1.
» Today's win marks the first time the Eagles have comeback from down four or more runs to win in the ninth inning since the 2023 squad came back from an 11-6 deficit in the ninth inning against the University of Toledo, eventually winning, 12-11, via former Eagle Matt Kirk's walk-off grand slam, April 23.
Up Next
Eastern Michigan will travel down the road to Ann Arbor to take on the University of Michigan for the second time this season, Tuesday, April 2. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Pirkle, Aaron (1-1)
L: Bryce Hellgeth (1-3)
Batting:
2B: Danny Wuestenfeld 1 ; Jacob Donahue 1 ; Nick Dardas 2
RBI: Danny Wuestenfeld 2 ; Carter Campau 1 ; Nick Dardas 2
SF: Carter Campau 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jake Brill 1 ; Danny Wuestenfeld 1 ; Cole Prout 1 ; Drew Stengren 1 ; Nick Dardas 1
SB: Jake Brill 1 ; Danny Wuestenfeld 1 ; Jacob Donahue 1 ; Cole Prout 1
HBP: Jake Brill 1
Batting:
2B: Taylor, Cory 1
3B: Vance, Cooper 1
RBI: Taylor, Cory 2 ; Hugo, Logan 2 ; Arbogast, Aidan 1 ; Vance, Cooper 1
SF: Arbogast, Aidan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McRae, Blake 1 ; Johnson, Lucas 1 ; Taylor, Cory 1 ; Zuccaro, Giano 1 ; Wilcox, Cole 1 ; Arbogast, Aidan 1
CS: Hugo, Logan 1
HBP: Zuccaro, Giano 1
