Relief pitcher Kyle Huckaby (2-1) earned his second win of the season when the Eastern Michigan University (12-18, 4-5 MAC) men’s baseball team defeated the Western Michigan University Broncos (11-5, 4-5 MAC) 11-10 in the third game of a weekend series in Ypsilanti.
The Eagles won the weekend series against their rival with two straight victories at home after losing their first match-up on Friday.
Starting pitcher Augie Gallardo pitched for four and one-third innings allowing seven runs on six hits while only striking out three. While pitching was a low point for the Eagles on Sunday, batting was a positive for the team.
In the first inning the Broncos pulled out to a 3-0 lead, but the Eagles fired back in the same inning when Jordan Peterson singled to left field, scoring Austin Wilson and John Rubino.
But the second inning was where the Eagles exploded at the plate scoring six runs.
John Rubino doubled to left field and scored David Lett. Next, Mitchell McGeein singled to left and scored Wilson and Rubino. Mike Mioduszewski came up to bat, singling to center field and scoring Peterson. Adam Dennison got his turn at the plate and converted a single to right field into a run, scoring Mioduszewski. After the second inning the score was 8-3 in favor of the Eagles.
The fifth inning saw the beginning of a comeback for Western Michigan after they scored four runs, which included a triple from sophomore Beau Filkins, bringing the score to 8-7 with the Eagles due up.
Eastern scored two runs in the fifth inning produced by Austin Wilson and John Rubino, and one run in the sixth inning thanks to a Mioduzewski home run, his second of the year. After six innings the Eagles looked to of stopped the Broncos comeback.
The score was 11-7 after six innings and the game looked all but finished, but Western Michigan had other plans.
In the seventh inning the Eagles gave up three runs including a triple and a walk that scored a run. It was relief pitcher Sam Delaplane who entered the game and tamed the Bronco’s.
Delaplane pitched for two and one-third innings, earning three strike-outs and closed out the game with his sixth save of the season, securing the Eagles victory 11-10 on Easter.
Offensively the Eagles had 16 hits in the game including senior John Rubino going 4-for-6 at the plate while also scoring two runs. Mioduszewski went 2-for-5, hit a home run and earned two RBI’s and it was Jordan Peterson who went 2-for-4 and batted in three RBI’s on the afternoon.
Looking Forward:
The Eastern Michigan University baseball team will travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., to face the University of Michigan Wolverines (18-13, 4-5 BIGTEN) on April 7 at 4 p.m.
The last time these two Washtenaw County rivals met was last season, when the Eagles won 4-3 in extra innings on April 16, 2014.
Social Media:
Follow Robert Sherman on Twitter: @r__sherman
