By Charles Post (Sports Editor) and Hayden Vassar (Senior Sports Writer)
The baseball team got the week started for Eastern Michigan athletics as they hosted Northwestern Ohio on Tuesday, March 26. They faced Concordia the following day, while the track and field teams participated in four separate events which began on March 28 and ended two days later in California, North Carolina and Texas.
Eastern Michigan Baseball: The Eagles made quick work of Northwestern Ohio in the first home game of the season on March 26 at Oestrike Stadium. After giving up one run in the top of the first inning, Eastern Michigan settled in and went on to score 10 unanswered runs before winning 13-3 in seven innings. Scott Granzotto got the win on the mound for the Eagles, who would host Concordia the next day.
Eastern Michigan would jump out to an early lead again after trailing in the top of the first inning. Concordia scored two runs in the first but the Eagles put up five runs in the second inning alone to take a 6-2 advantage. A lead they would never relinquish. Zachary Owings hit a grand slam and finished with three hits and four RBI in the 11-6 victory. Cameron Cruz added three hits. Luke McGuire, who is 2-0, earned the win with two hits allowed.
“I think the first 20-24 games were on the road so it’s a little bit of a grind just with the travel and the road trips,” head coach Eric Roof said. “But it’s definitely nice to be back at home playing on our turf and coming out here and getting two good wins.”
Eastern Michigan Track and Field: The women’s track team started competition on March 28 taking part in the Bobcat Invitational in San Marcos, Texas, the Texas Relays in Austin and the Stanford Invitational in Stanford. The Eagles did not win any events, they managed to land two top-five finishes out of the three days during the invitational.
Kolby Ganther finished with a 11.86 in the 100-meter while Angel Gazaway finished with a 1:02.17 in the 400-meter hurdles which were both being career bests. In the Texas Relays, the Eagles earned another top-five finish during the 4x100 meter team relay finishing with a time of 45.28 to earn a fifth-place. Emily Smith finished 20th place in the 5,000-meter event at the Stanford Invitational.
The men’s team won four titles in the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, North Carolina. Terrell Posada had a time of 10.28 in the 100-meter to give EMU their first event title. It was also the fourth fastest time in school history. Tyler Underwood would win the 400-meter event with a time of 46.00. The second day of the relays came with two more titles. Derek Ziegenfuss won the javelin event, while Nick Herbert won the triple jump event with a career-best 15.20-meter finish.
The baseball team will return to Oestrike Stadium on Wednesday, April 3 against Oakland looking to remain unbeaten at home. They will also host Bowling Green in a three-game series beginning on April 5. The men and women track and field teams will have a short turn around as they will both take part in the Spartan Invitational in East Lansing from April 5-6. The women’s gymnastics and men’s golf teams will also be in action next weekend in Ann Arbor and Richmond, Kentucky, respectively.
