Failed ninth inning double steal attempt prevents baseball from series win against Ball State
There were runners at first and second base with one out for the Central Michigan baseball team. The Chippewas trailed 4-2 in the bottom of ninth as senior catcher Dylan Goodwin stood at the plate. Head Coach Steve Jaksa called a double steal.
Senior outfielder Ryan Heeke sprinted from the second base bag to third, but third base umpire Jim Mecha called him out after a throw from Ball State catcher Jarrett Rindfleisch. Goodwin would eventually strike out.
The Cardinals won the game 4-2 on Sunday at Theunissen Stadium. CMU fell to 8-28 (3-6 in the Mid-American Conference) after dropping two of three to the MAC West Division leaders.
Jaksa was livid with Mecha following the call.
“I thought (Heeke) was safe and, again, the umpire doesn’t move in the middle of the field," Jaksa said. "He made one step. It’s just hard for me to imagine in that situation, we can’t hustle in the ninth inning of a championship-type game because it’s the series-decider, that we can’t move in that situation just baffles me.”
Jaksa said if Heeke is called safe, it would have put pressure on Ball State as runners would have stood on second and third with one out. He said Cardinals reliever BJ Butler would not have been able to throw certain pitches and a wild pitch or sacrifice fly could have tied the game.
"Everything changes if he’s safe, momentum and everything," Jaksa said. "That’s the way it goes. I’m more upset that we’re not in a position to make that call. That’s all. I’m upset about the call but because of the positioning that really frustrates me more than anything.”
Heeke and pinch hitter freshman Jarrod Watkins singled to start the bottom of the ninth. Pitcher Morgan Oliver struck out on a full count to set up the failed double steal, which Jaksa calls "unfortunate."
“You play to win, you look at the situations and you’ve got to trust your players," Jaksa said. "Ryan’s been here a long time, he got a big hit to start the inning, he knows what he’s doing and the play worked. We’re going to continue to play that kind of baseball because that’s how we play and that’s the way it is. Today, it didn’t go our way.”
Ball State scored two runs in the ninth off CMU relievers sophomore Colton Bradley and senior Morgan Oliver. First baseman Caleb Stayton hit a sacrifice fly off Bradley to put the Cardinals ahead. A bunt by designated hitter Zach Plesac off Oliver scored shortstop Alex Maloney.
Redshirt freshman right-handed pitcher Pat Leatherman hurled six innings, allowing two runs on six hits while walking and striking out three batters each.
“Pat always competes, always gives you his all," Jaksa said. "He always fights. He found a way again today to do that and put us in a position to be in the game.”
After Ball State led 2-0, the Chippewas broke out for two runs in the sixth inning. CMU had runners on second and third with one out before freshman outfielder Daniel Robinson hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score junior first baseman Alex Borglin. The Chippewas tied the game after a RBI single by freshman second baseman Jason Sullivan.
“You’re getting to where we got to keep fighting but it’s disappointing to go down the way we did today," Jaksa said. "We went down fighting and I’m proud of the guys’ effort from that standpoint, but they’ve got to believe they can win and that becomes difficult sometimes.”
Jaksa said calls are magnified when it's a championship-type game and his team was not rewarded because they made one mistake. He said it is up to the team if the Chippewas want to turn the corner.
“It’s all about them," Jaksa said. "They’re going to have to make that decision. They have to feel that they can do it.”
CMU will play Notre Dame at 6:05 p.m. Wednesday in South Bend, Indiana.
