Following a 6-2 loss Friday, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team was able to even up the series against the University of Akron with a 3-1 win Saturday at Oestrike Stadium.
In the first action of the season at Oestrike Stadium for the baseball team, the Eagles fell to fellow Mid-American Conference opponent the Akron Zips for their first MAC loss of the year.
A total of four pitchers made appearances for EMU against Akron Friday, pitching a total of 146 pitches. Starting pitcher Ryan Lavoie, who allowed seven hits and five earned runs on 44 pitches after two and a third innings of work, was attributed with the loss. Lavoie’s record on the year now stands at 1-3.
With the score tied at 1-1, the bottom of the third would turn out to be a busy inning for Akron, as they would score four runs, aided by a hit by pitch and a passed ball by Eastern.
EMU picked up another run in the sixth to chip away at the deficit, but Akron responded with a run of its own in the eighth to make the score 6-2, which is where things would stand.
On Saturday, Eagles pitches allowed only eight hits on the day, with seven of those coming from starting pitcher Charlie Land. Land, who picked up his first win on the season (1-3), had 3 strikeouts on 101 pitches in seven and a third innings, but arguably the most important stat he accumulated was only one earned run allowed on the day.
The one run allowed by the Eagles on the day did not come until the fifth inning, when after a single by Akron center fielder Mason Mamarella, a double to right field by Daulton Mosbarger allowed Mamarella to make it all the way home. That would be the only damage Land would allow, and would finish off the bottom of the frame with a pick off Mosbarger, then forcing a groundout to Zip shortstop Matt Rembielak.
Eastern nearly had something cooking on their own in the fifth after a single by EMU’s Austin Wilson put a man a base. Any chance of a threat in the inning ended after Wilson was caught trying to steal second base, and was followed up by a groundout and strikeout.
The second attempt at trying to put runs on the board with their next chance in the sixth inning would prove successful, and a RBI single by DH John Montgomery would tie things up at 1-1. Another run in the seventh would give Eastern their first lead of the day at 2-1.
Land was taken out of the game and replaced with Michael Marsinek with one out in the top of the eighth inning and a 2-1 lead, and Marsinek would close out the inning to make sure that lead would stand.
With just a one run lead in the bottom of the eighth, Eastern figured at least one more run wouldn’t hurt, and was able to do just that by adding an additional run to create a little breathing room.
A sacrifice bunt by pinch hitter Tony Dileo advanced base runners Mitchell McGeein and Jackson Martin into prime scoring positions at second and third, and left fielder Mike Mioduszewski was able to hit into a fielder’s choice which allowed Martin to score, making the score 3-1.
Akron was not totally without life yet, after a single by third baseman Dom Iero put a runner on base and the tying run at the plate, but Eastern’s Sam Delaplane was able to force a double play to close any window of opportunity the Zips may have had. A ground out by the final batter for Akron would wrap up the game and give the Eagles the 3-1 win.
EMU snapped its three-game losing streak with the win over Akron, and this improves their record on the year to 7-13. The win is Eastern’s first of the year against a MAC opponent.
The Eagles will wrap up their three game series with Akron tomorrow Sunday, March 22, at Oestrike Stadium. Jake Andrews, who is 2-1 on the year with a 1.24 ERA, is set to take the mound and try to win the series for the Eagles, with the first pitch set for 1 p.m.
