Strong starting pitching guides baseball to three wins at Texas State
The Central Michigan University baseball team won three of its four games at Texas State improving the Chippewas overall record to 8-4 this season.
“At the end of the day it was very good hard fought series,” said Head Coach Steve Jaksa. “I’m really happy we were able to capture three. Good things will continue to happen and I truly believe that.”
Junior Joe Houlihan led all Chippewas in hits over the weekend with six while CMU’s starting pitching was solid going a combined 23 and two thirds innings, allowing seven earned runs and striking out 14 hitters during the four games.
Friday: TSU 5, CMU3
Sophomore pitcher Nick Deeg pitched six innings giving up four earned runs on five hits for the Chippewas and took the loss.
TSU scored four runs in the third inning, which included a three-RBI triple to right field.
Senior Nick Regnier and freshman Zach McKinstry each had two hits.
Freshman Sean Martens and junior Jimmy McNamara also saw some action on the mound for CMU. Both pitched one inning and had two strikeouts each.
CMU finished with six hits to TSU’s five. The Chippewas also had four errors.
Saturday Game 1: CMU 14, TSU 6
The bats came alive in the late innings for the Chippewas in game one of the doubleheader, scoring a season-high 14 runs on 13 hits.
Seven CMU hitters finished with at least one run batted in.
Nick Regnier and Houlihan led CMU with three hits each. Houlihan had two RBI’s while Regnier finished with one RBI.
“Going in there we didn't have a lot of energy at that point,” Jaksa said. “All of a sudden our base running put a little bit of pressure on them and then they started making some pitching mistakes.”
TSU jumped on Aldred in the third inning scoring three runs on two hits.
It all started to fall apart for TSU beginning in the seventh inning with passed balls, wild pitches and a costly balk.
CMU scored three of its four runs in the seventh inning, despite recording just one hit.
The Chippewas scored five runs in the eighth and ninth innings on seven hits.
Saturday Game 2: CMU 5, TSU 3
The best pitching performance of the weekend came in game two with freshman Pat Leatherman going seven scoreless-innings while giving up just five hits and six strikeouts.
All five CMU runs came between the eighth and tenth innings.
CMU finished with seven hits. Senior Pat Mackenzie, Logan Regnier and McKinstry each finished with two hits.
“I was really happy with how we came back and scored runs in the tenth,” Jaksa said. “I mean you’re talking about right after Texas State scored three in the ninth.”
Sunday: CMU 2, TSU 0
Pitching was the story for a second consecutive game as junior Jason Gamble went 6.1 innings while allowing three hits.
A run in the first and ninth innings was all the Chippewas needed as only two pitchers saw action for CMU in shutting down the TSU offense.
CMU finished with seven hits. Houlihan led with two hits.
“We were solid all the way through Sunday,” Jaksa said. “We made huge plays in key situations defensively. We were good in all phases today.”
The Chippewas head to Kansas at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
