The Eastern Michigan baseball team finished a three-game weekend series on the road against Ball State with a record of 1-2 after winning the final game of the series on Saturday, April 13 in Muncie, Indiana. The Eagles lost the first two games before upsetting Ball State 7-5 in Game 3.
The Eagles dropped the first game of the series 3-2 on Friday, April 12. The Eagles were down 2-0 coming into the fourth inning until John Rensel Jr. hit an RBI single to center field which cut the Cardinals lead to 2-1. After failing to score in the next four innings, EMU made a final attempt to fight its way back into the game.
Taylor Hopkins delivered an RBI single to cut the lead to 3-2. However, EMU fell just short, ending the game with a strikeout and then a fly-out. Scott Granzotto fell to 3-5 on the season with the loss after allowing five hits and two runs in 6.0 innings pitched. Rensel had two hits, one RBI and one run in the loss.
The Eagles also lost the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday 11-5. Jeff Timko was able to tie the game 1-1 in the first inning and gave EMU its first run from an RBI triple to left field. EMU got its first lead of the game at 3-2 after Nate Jones hit his second home run of the season.
The Eagles were able to score two more runs in the fifth inning, which put them up 5-4. However, Eastern Michigan went scoreless in the next four innings and Ball State was able to score seven unanswered runs to close out the game. William Baker’s two-run homer gave the Cardinals the lead for good. He had two hits and two runs.
In the final game of the series, the Eagles played one of their most consistent games of the year, despite falling down 2-0 in the first inning. The offense woke up in the third inning, scoring four runs, which began with a two-run double from Rensel. EMU would add on one run in both the fourth and fifth inning as well.
Zachary Owings homered to left to give Eastern a 5-3 advantage and then Shane Easter scored to put EMU up 6-3. Ball State would score two runs late in the game to make it closer but the Eagles held on for a 7-5 victory. Justin Meis improved to 2-5 as he pitched 5.2 innings and gave up three runs and struck out three batters.
Ross Messina had a team-high two runs for Ball State while also two hits and one RBI. Baker added two hits, one run and one RBI as well. Easter, Owings, Rensel and Timko all had two hits for Eastern Michigan. Those four players combined for eight hits, five runs and four runs batted in. Jones also added a run for the Eagles.
EMU is now 3-9 in the MAC and will face Dayton on Tuesday, April 16 at Oestrike Stadium in Ypsilanti.
