Coming off a near no-hitter for the Eastern Michigan University baseball team Friday, the team continued its successes Saturday with a 9-5 win against the Western Michigan University Broncos at Oestrike Stadium.
Redshirt senior Brian Valente (ND, 0-2) got the start for Eastern (17-18). He went 3 2/3 innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on six hits, while walking one and striking out one.
Senior Taylor Dimmerling relieved Valente. He pitched 1 1/3 near-perfect innings, only surrendering one hit.
Senior Neil Butara (W, 3-5) went the rest of the way for EMU. He pitched four scoreless innings, giving up four hits while walking one and striking out two.
For WMU (12-25), Patrick Borlik was the starter. He threw 4 2/3 innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits while walking four and striking out six Eagle batters.
Derek Schneider entered the game in the fifth inning for WMU. He pitched 2/3 of an inning, giving up zero runs on one hit, while striking out one batter.
Pat Haynes (L, 1-1) was next; giving up three earned runs on two hits. He walked one batter and struck out zero.
Gabe Berman relieved him, giving up one earned run on two hits in 2/3 of an inning.
Casey Hall finished things out for the Broncos, giving up one unearned run on two hits in one inning pitched.
Junior catcher Adam Sonabend got things started again for the Eagles in the bottom of the first. His bases-loaded RBI single gave EMU the 1-0 lead. The next batter, redshirt senior third baseman Jamie Simpson, added to the Eagle lead with a two-run double down the left field line.
In the bottom of the second, redshirt junior right fielder Sam Ott hit an RBI-double, scoring freshman center fielder Daniel Russell.
Up 4-0, the Eagles appeared to be cruising, but the Broncos were just getting started.
Theo Piccirilli hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the third, scoring Brooks Bielke. Two batters later, Jared
Kujawa smacked an RBI-double down the right field line, scoring Vinnie Booker and making the score 4-2 EMU.
In the fourth inning, after a two-out RBI single from Booker, Dimmerling came on to relieve Valente. He immediately gave up a single to Piccirilli, which loaded the bases. Dimmerling hit the next batter, Sohn, forcing home the game-tying run. The Broncos took the lead when Kujawa reached base on a throwing error by freshman second baseman Marquise Gill, scoring Steve Buglione.
The Eagles retook the lead with three runs in the seventh and one more in the eighth, securing the
four-run win.
EMU wrapped up the series with WMU on Sunday. As of press date, the results were not available.
The team next takes on the University of Michigan Wolverines in a doubleheader on Tuesday. First pitch at Oestrike is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Follow Al Willman on Twitter: @AlWillmanEcho
