Central Michigan Life

Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: Sports

Senior Tyler Stovall went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBIs Tuesday in the baseball team's 16-8 win against Hillsdale at Theunissen Stadium. The Chippewas host Michigan at 3 p.m. today. [Click to enlarge]

The baseball team's two first inning errors Tuesday were quickly forgotten in the second inning, as the Chippewas scored nine runs in their 16-8 win against Hillsdale at Theunissen Stadium.

Senior first baseman Sean Hoorelbeke started the scoring with a single and also hit a two-run home run off Hillsdale starting right-hander Ben Turner.

Coach Steve Jaksa said Turner was the first knuckleballer the team had seen in a while. But the team was not deterred from the adjustments he proposed.

"After the first (inning), I told them take the first pitch," Jaksa said. "I wanted to slow down the game just a bit. We wanted to get ahead of him."

Hillsdale took a 1-0 lead in the first after a sacrifice fly scored Dan Fodell and added another run in the second inning to go ahead 2-0. But Central (8-15) scored nine runs in the bottom half of the inning after stringing together seven hits. The Chippewas also were aided by two Hillsdale errors.

"You have to have a good approach," Jaksa said. "It's important to get a good pitch to hit."

The inning was highlighted by Hoorelbeke's two hits, a two-run home run from junior third baseman James Teas and an RBI double off the wall by senior right fielder Tyler Stovall. Hoorelbeke just needed to see one knuckleball before he took a swing.

"I made sure I took one to see what it looked like," Hoorelbeke said. "Lucky enough he hung one."

Hoorelbeke finished 3-for-3 with his eighth home run of the season, two singles, a walk and was hit by a pitch.

Stovall finished 3-for-4 with a single, double, triple and a walk led the CMU offense.

Sophomore right-hander Devan Kline went five innings, giving up four earned runs of 10 hits. He also recorded eight strike outs to just two walks.

"We needed to see Devan throw," Jaksa said. "Last time against Oakland, he got two innings and we needed to get him out there."

Freshmen Jake Sabol and Mike Nixon each pitched two innings.The duo gave up a combined three runs.

"They got hits - not great swings - but they got hits," Jaksa said. "But I though our guys pitched not too bad."

CMU returns to action at 3 p.m. today at Theunissen Stadium against No. 22 Michigan.

"We always want to play at a certain level - we don't want to play down," Jaksa said. "Interstate rival-type games, you want to step it up a bit."

Jaksa said he will start junior left hander Steve Teno, but will limit him to a pitch count of 40 to 50 in order to save him for the team's weekend series at Bowling Green.

"We're not concerned who we're playing," Hoorelbeke said. only worried about ourselves. It's the only way you can play."



sports@cm-life.com

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