Waiting out a win

The baseball team avoided a sweep on the strength of Trent Howard’s complete game shutout against Toledo on Sunday.

The freshman left-hander gave up seven hits and while throwing more than 120 pitches in the Chippewas’ 3-0 win in the second game of a doubleheader at Theunissen Stadium.

Central lost the first game 3-1 after Toledo’s two runs broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning. Toledo took game one of the three-game series 14-10 on Friday.

“It was a good series,” said coach Steve Jaksa. “We came up just short of our goal of getting both games (Sunday) – we had to fight like the devil to get the second.”

Toledo retained the Mid-American Conference West Division lead by taking two of three. CMU sits three games back in third place.

Pinch-runner Ricky Clark gave CMU an insurance run in the eighth inning of the team’s win when he stole home with two outs for a 3-0 lead.

Central took a first-inning lead when sophomore right fielder Matt Faiman came around to score on an error by Toledo left fielder Josh Wiezba.

Sophomore designated hitter Brendan Emmett put the team up 2-0 in the fifth inning on freshman second baseman Rhett Goodmiller’s squeeze bunt.

Central was held hitless until the sixth inning, when junior left fielder Billy Anderson doubled down the right-field line.

Howard kept the Chippewas in the game, stifling the Rockets’ offense with eight strikeouts. The error-free defensive effort behind him didn’t hurt, either.

“Things just went my way,” he said. “I didn’t have any bloopers drop and the defense was nothing less than solid-defense, luck and command were all there.”

Howard faced just three batters in each of the last three innings and did not allow a base runner to advance past second base.

A two-hour rain delay stopped Sunday’s first game after the eighth inning, in which the Rockets took a 3-1 lead.

Toledo shortstop Jared Hoying singled to lead off the eighth and stole second. But with two outs, pinch-hitter Dan Sherwood doubled to left field to score Hoying and Ben Hammer, who was intentionally walked.

Senior left-hander Dan Taylor gave up just two runs – one earned – on six hits during 7 1/3 innings. He also struck out six batters and did not allow a walk.

Sophomore center fielder Rod Helsen reached on a walk in the Chippewas’ ninth inning, but freshman third baseman Reid Rooney grounded into a double play to end the game.

Toledo’s starter Matt Kuna and relievers Jeff Cinadr and Matt Zahel combined to hold the Chippewas to just one run and five hits.

“I was disappointed that we didn’t get both,” Jaksa said. “But you have to give (Toledo) credit in the way they came in here this weekend.”

The Chippewas return to Theunissen Stadium at 3:05 p.m. Tuesday for matchup against Concordia College.

sports@cm-life.com