Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
0-1
Pittsburgh
1-0
Baseball Falls to Pitt in High-Scoring, Extra-Innings Affair
2/14/2025 5:59:00 PM | Baseball
Eastern scored the most runs in a season opener since 2020 and totaled the most hits against a power-four foe since 2018
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team scored the most runs in a season opener since the 2020 season and totaled the most hits against a "Power Four" opponent since 2018 as it fell in a high-scoring, extra-inning affair to the University of Pittsburgh, 9-8, Friday, Feb. 14, at Centennial Park.
Offensively, Eastern was led by Bruce Jellison (Hartland, Mich./Hartland/Wabash Valley), Cooper Vance (New Waterford, Ohio/Mohawk), and John Hale (Ashland City, Tenn./Sycamore/Motlow State C.C.), who all totaled at least three hits and one RBI.
Drew Beckner (Westerville, Ohio/Big Walnut/Charleston) got the start on the bump, going five innings, allowing just one earned run off two hits while striking out three and walking four. The Eagles got a strong performance out of Nick Keane (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin/Frederick C.C.), who did not allow a run while striking out six in three innings in his Division I debut.
How it Happened
Eastern started the scoring in the third as Vance hit the Eagles' first homer of the season, sending one over the left field wall to give Eastern the 1-0 advantage. Strong pitching followed the top half of the frame with Beckner delivering a one, two, three frame to build off the offensive momentum.
Eastern continued its strong offensive play into the fourth and fifth innings. The Eagles plated three in the fourth with RBI from Giano Zuccaro (Middleburg Heights, Ohio/Berea Midpark/Charleston) and Kevin Krill (White Lake, Mich./Lakeland/Oakland/Kalamazoo Valley C.C.).
Hale smacked Eastern's second homer of the day in the fifth, bringing the score to 5-1, Eastern. The homer was part of a three-hit debut for the outfielder, as he added a double in the third and single in the ninth. The Panthers responded with one run in the bottom half of the inning, narrowing the EMU lead to three.
Devan Zirwas (Imperial, Pa./West Allegheny/VCU) smoked a two-run double off the wall in the top of the seventh, scoring two Eagles with his first EMU hit before he was driven in by Jellison, who turned in a four-hit day in his Eastern debut.
Pitt exploded for six runs in the bottom of the seventh, tying the score at eight apiece. The game went into extra innings after concluding the ninth tied at eight.
After threatening with a runner on second to lead off the 11th, the Eagles fell in the bottom of the 12th as Pitt homered to end the game.
Game Notes
» Vance cracked the Eagles' first homer of the season, sending one over the left field wall in the third. He finished the day with three hits, marking the 14th multi-hit game of his career and just his second with three knocks. The game was Vance's first of his collegiate tenure with three extra-base hits.
» Krill recorded his first EMU RBI in the fourth, lining out to center field to score Logan Hugo (Essexville, Mich./Essexville Garber).
» Hale tallied his first homer as an Eagle in the fifth inning and finished the day 3-for-5 for at the plate with a homer, double, single and RBI. The performance marked his first Division I multi-hit game.
» Zirwas led the Eagles with two RBI on the day via a two-run double that went off the left field wall in the seventh, marking his first hit and multi-RBI outing since donning the Script E.
» Eastern thrived in situational hitting. They batted .400 with two outs (6-for-15), .417 when leading off (5-for-12), .400 in advancement opportunities (10-for-25), and a perfect 1.000 (2-for-2) with a runner on third and less than two outs.
Historical Notes
» Jellison knocked four hits, marking the first time an Eagle has delivered a four-hit day in their Eastern debut since 2022 MAC Player of the Year, Matt Kirk drilled four against Winthrop, Feb. 18, 2022.
» The Eagles are now 0-4 all-time against Pitt. All four games have been played in the state of Florida.
» After the loss, EMU is 6-12 all-time when opening against a power four team.
» Eastern's nine runs and 15 hits are its most in a season opener since it plated 16 runs off 16 hits at Austin Peay to start the 2020 season, Feb. 15.
» Eastern went into extra innings in a season opener for the first time since the 2014 season when it knocked off No. 13, Clemson, 6-5, in 10 innings, 11 years ago today, Feb. 14.
» Vance, Jellison, and Hale's performances mark the first time three Eagles have recorded at least three hits each in a season opener since four Eagles hit a minimum of three hits at Austin Peay to start the 2020 season, Feb. 15.
» Eastern played a 12-inning game for the first time since the 2018 season, when it topped Central Michigan, 7-6, May 4.
» Eastern's 15 hits are its most against a power four opponent since they also knocked 15 in a win over Oklahoma State on the road, March 10, 2018.
Up Next
The Eagles will take on the Panthers in the second game of the series Saturday, Feb. 15, 1 p.m. Fans can listen to the game on Eagle All-Access or the Varsity Network
Follow Us
For all things EMU Baseball, be sure to check out the team's social media accounts, including EMU_Baseball on X (formerly Twitter) and emu_baseball on Instagram.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Gavin Chillot (1-0)
L: Topolski, Jack (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Hale, John 1 ; Zirwas, Devan 1 ; Vance, Cooper 2
HR: Hale, John 1 ; Vance, Cooper 1
RBI: Hale, John 1 ; Zirwas, Devan 2 ; Jellison, Bruce 1 ; Zuccaro, Giano 1 ; Krill, Kevin 1 ; Vance, Cooper 1
SF: Krill, Kevin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hale, John 1 ; Kleiman, Brendan 1 ; Travis, Harrison 1 ; Zirwas, Devan 1 ; Jellison, Bruce 1 ; Hugo, Logan 1 ; Vance, Cooper 2
SB: Hale, John 1
HBP: Hugo, Logan 1
Batting:
2B: Luke Cantwell 1 ; Jake Kendro 1
HR: Lorenzo Carrier 1 ; Ryan Zuckerman 1
RBI: Luke Cantwell 2 ; Lorenzo Carrier 2 ; Ryan Zuckerman 1 ; Gavin Miller 1 ; Derrick Tarpley Jr. 2
SF: Derrick Tarpley Jr. 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Luke Cantwell 1 ; Sebastian Pisacreta 1 ; Lorenzo Carrier 1 ; Ryan Zuckerman 2 ; A.J. Nessler 1 ; Jayden Melendez 1 ; Gavin Miller 1 ; Jake Kendro 1
HBP: Jayden Melendez 2
