Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
13-31, 8-15
Toledo
22-25, 15-11
Baseball Edged by Toledo in Back-And-Forth Contest, 4-3
5/4/2024 3:44:00 PM | Baseball
With one hit in the game, Cory Taylor is now one hit away from reaching the 100-hits mark in his career
TOLEDO, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The University of Toledo's one-run seventh inning proved to be the difference in the ballgame, as the Eastern Michigan University Eagles lost a heartbreaker to the Rockets by the score of 4-3 Saturday, May 4, at Scott Park.
How it Happened
The Eagles were trailing 1-0 in the third inning when they first put runs on the board. Junior Logan Hugo (Essexville, Mich./Essexville Garber) came across to score the lone run of the inning for the Eagles by way of a sacrifice fly to right field from Drew Jones (Cleveland, Ohio/Brush/Ohio State).
The Rockets then scored one run to retake their advantage heading into the fourth inning, when the Eagles responded by getting back on the scoreboard themselves. Brendan Kleiman (Olney, Md./Sherwood/Frederick C.C.) logged Eastern's second sacrifice fly of the game with a fly-out to center field, scoring Blake McRae (Armada, Mich./Romeo/Lansing C.C.) from third to knot the score at two apiece heading into the bottom half of the fourth.
Toledo broke that tie and took a 3-2 lead heading into the sixth, when Eastern Michigan tied the game yet again, this time at three. EMU scored once on an RBI single off the bat of Cory Taylor (Shelbyville, Ind./Shelbyville) for the 99th hit of his collegiate baseball career.
Toledo delivered what proved to be the deciding run with a sac fly of its own in the seventh inning. The game concluded in a 4-3 win for the Rockets.
Game Notes
» Kleiman produced two hits and one RBI from the plate, marking his 10th multi-hit outing and upping his RBI total to 19. The junior also walked without striking out, marking his 12th base-on-balls to just 14 strikeouts.
» Hugo knocked two hits in the game for his 10th multi-hit day. One of the outfielder's hits went for two bases, his sixth double of the season.
» Jones tabbed one hit and one RBI, bringing his hit total to 21 while marking his 11th RBI. Jones now has at least one knock and one driven-in in consecutive games for the second time in the 2024 campaign. He previously did so last weekend against Miami University, April 26-27.
» Drew Beckner (Westerville, Ohio/Big Walnut/Charleston) had a productive outing on the mound. The left-hander went six innings for the fifth time this season while allowing five hits and just three runs. With his performance today, Beckner has allowed three runs or less in 7-of-13 appearances.
» McRae worked one walk in the game, increasing his team-best total to 25. The graduate student has drawn 25 base-on-balls in 2024 while striking out 27 times.
Historical Notes
» Saturday's game went down as the 175th all-time between Eastern and Toledo, after the result, the Eagles produce a 101-74 record when facing the Rockets
» Taylor recorded one hit and one RBI in the tilt. His one knock went down as the 99th of his career, putting him just one shy of the century mark. Taylor would join Hugo and Glenn Miller (Pentwater, Mich./Pentwater/Spring Arbor) as the third Eagle this season to accomplish the feat.
Up Next
The Eagles and Rockets will meet once more for the series finale tomorrow, Sunday, May 5 at 1 p.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Pijaszek, Kyle (4-2)
L: Beckner, Drew (2-8)
S: Music, Kyle (1)
Batting:
2B: Hugo, Logan 1
RBI: Kleiman, Brendan 1 ; Taylor, Cory 1 ; Jones, Drew 1
SF: Kleiman, Brendan 1 ; Jones, Drew 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McRae, Blake 1 ; Zuccaro, Giano 1 ; Hugo, Logan 1
HBP: Miller, Glenn 1
PO: Hugo, Logan 1
Batting:
2B: Mackiewicz, Scott 1
HR: Pike, Garret 1
RBI: Pike, Garret 1 ; Walton, Luke 1 ; White, Brayden 1
SF: Walton, Luke 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jackson, Owen 2 ; Pike, Garret 2
SB: Pike, Garret 1
HBP: Scholvin, Charlie 1
