The Eastern Michigan University baseball team concluded a five-game home stand (2-3) on Tuesday, losing to the Michigan State University Spartans 5-3.
The Eagles (10-14, 1-5 Mid-American Conference) started the week strong with a 9-8 win over Northwestern University (4-17) on Wednesday. The win was spurred on by a strong sixth and seventh inning with EMU outscoring NU 6-2 in that stretch.
Shortstop John Rubino (2-5), the leadoff man for the Eagles, produced two runs and one run batted in.
Center fielder Austin Wilson (1-3) also scored three runs, while right fielder Sam Ott (2-5) and first baseman Lee Longo (2-3) contributed three RBI’s apiece.
EMU pitcher Sterling Sharp was given the win. He pitched four complete innings without allowing a hit, spanning the third through sixth inning.
Going into the bottom of the sixth inning, the game was tied 3-3. EMU then scored three runs in each of the next innings to put some distance between themselves and NU.
EMU relief pitcher Charlie Land was credited with a save – his second – after a groundout by Jones ended the game.
The EMU men’s baseball team had a two-day break before the weekend series against MAC rival Kent State University. The Eagles lost two out of three games in that series.
The Eagles were dominated by Kent State’s pitchers Friday, losing 10-2. EMU only recorded four hits in the game and only one against KSU starting pitcher Eric Lauer (6-1).
Rubino and first baseman John Montgomery were the only Eagles to record an RBI in the game, with a ground out and a double respectively.
EMU pitching struggled in the game against Kent State, with starting pitcher Jake Andrews (2-3). He took the loss, allowing two runs and four hits over three innings.
The bullpen did not fare much better, allowing 11 hits and eight runs over the remaining six innings.
The second game of the series went to Kent State as well, 6-1. Eastern hung in the game all the way up until the eighth inning when EMU allowed three runs to stretch the deficit to 5-1 and all but putting the game away.
The Eagles’ hitting struggled again with only six hits in the game. Ott (2-3) scored Eastern’s only run in the game and designated hitter Longo contributed an RBI.
Ryan Lavoie (1-1) was the starting pitcher for the second game against Kent State and, while he only allowed two runs, he gave up 10 hits compared to three strikeouts. The bullpen allowed only five hits, but four runs were scored on those hits.
EMU picked up its lone win of the series, as well as its first win in the MAC, in the final game against Kent State, with a close 2-1 finish.
There wasn’t much hitting in the game as Eastern only picked up five hits for the afternoon, outhitting Kent State by two.
Instead, it was a pitching duel between the two teams, with EMU relief pitcher Michael Marsinek picking up his second win of the season in two innings of work.
Marsinek didn’t allow a hit in his entire stint, and EMU starter Steve Weber only allowed two hits to go with two strikeouts in his solid six-inning performance.
The bulk of the scoring occurred in the first inning when a single by KSU’s second baseman singled to right field allowing center fielder Alex Miklos to score. The Eagles came back in the bottom of the inning with a fly ball to right field by Longo drove in Rubino.
The teams didn’t score again until the bottom of the seventh inning when left fielder Michael Mioduszewski grounded out to shortstop, giving Longo the chance to run home and put the Eagles ahead for good. Land recorded his third save of the year for his work in the ninth inning.
EMU’s hitting struggles continued in the game against MSU with the offense only producing six hits in the game, with the majority coming in a hot fourth inning.
The first three batters in the batting order for EMU were all held without a hit. Ott did get walked, however, and later scored after a single by catcher Tony DiLeo.
EMU pitcher Paul Schaak took the loss. Schaak only allowed one hit on the evening but only pitched three innings. Schaak did have six strikeouts.
Overall, Eastern is 10-14 and 1-5 in the MAC. The team will go on the road for a five game trip spanning April 2-8.
The team will first go to Dayton, Ohio to play the University of Dayton, then it will play a three game series against, MAC team, Ball State University, and finally will conclude the road trip when the Eagles play the Ohio State University Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio.
