Chippewas start weekend series with win against MAC West leaders
On Wednesday, the Central Michigan baseball team played in a four hour and 38 minute affair against Michigan State at Comerica Park.
On Friday, the Chippewas weren’t thinking about their 14-inning loss to the Spartans; they had shifted their attention to the three-game home series against the Mid-American Conference West leading Ball State Cardinals.
In a game that was significantly shorter than the 2016 Clash at Comerica — two hours and 49 minutes — the Chippewas (8-26, 3-4 MAC) handled the Cardinals (21-14, 7-3 MAC) 7-3 in front of 318 fans at Theunissen Stadium.
Last Friday against Northern Illinois, CMU senior starting pitcher Sean Renzi (3-4, 5.58 ERA) gave up four runs on five hits and four walks. He finished Friday with seven innings pitched, giving up three runs on five hits, while walking two and hitting two Cardinals. He also struck out seven.
"Our club was ready to play," Head Coach Steve Jaksa said. "Wednesday night we were emotionally spent, but we had a really good practice on Thursday and really felt we were going to be ready to go. I thought Renzi would give us this kind of effort and he was really good."
The offense for the Chippewas started in the first inning after an RBI single by freshman right fielder Daniel Robinson. Freshman second baseman Jason Sullivan followed with a bunt single that junior Ball State starting pitcher Zach Plesac claimed went foul. The ball was fair, however, since Plesac touched it before it went foul.
Senior left fielder Ryan Heeke then hit an RBI-double to deep right field to give the Chippewas the 2-0 lead after the first inning.
After scoring two runs in the third inning and three in the fourth, Renzi gave up three runs to the Cardinals in the sixth. Before the sixth inning, he had given up just one hit and one walk.
He began the eighth inning, but after a hit batter and a walk he was pulled for sophomore relief pitcher Colton Bradley (0-2, 3.00 ERA). Renzi finished with 119 pitches, with 73 pitches being for strikes.
"We knew what his pitch count was obviously so we had talked about what we were gonna do. We talked to him and I knew he was gonna want to go back out there for the eighth. Everybody that came in, boy did they compete. They threw some quality pitches; (I'm) just really pleased with the effort again for our guys today."
Senior third baseman/relief pitcher Morgan Oliver (0-0, one save, 0.00 ERA) took the mound in the ninth. He allowed a walk with one out but was able to get a double play to end the game.
There were just two hits total after the sixth inning.
Sophomore designated hitter Daniel Jipping led the team offensively as he was 3-for-4 with a two-run triple in the fourth inning. He also scored twice and had those two RBI’s from his triple. Heeke went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI's.
CMU returns to action tomorrow at 2:05 p.m. at Theunissen Stadium as they play Ball State in game-two of the three-game series.
