Baseball team wins first MAC series, splits doubleheader against Miami (OH)
A sacrifice fly to center field in the fifth inning gave the Central Michigan baseball team a Game 2 win and split of a doubleheader Saturday against Miami (OH) at McKie Field in Oxford, Ohio.
CMU (10-9, 2-1 Mid-American Conference) added three more runs in the ninth inning to defeat Miami 5-1, winning its first conference series of the season.
“Every time you can get off to a plus start in MAC play is always a good thing,” said coach Steve Jaksa.
Sophomore left-hander Rick Dodridge allowed one unearned run on three hits and three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. Freshman Deitrich Enns (2-0) got the win after pitching three shutout innings in relief, and sophomore Trent Howard shut the door, earning his second save of the series.
“(Dodridge) was a day early than what we anticipated,” Jaksa said. “We had him going Sunday and he gave us everything he had. We knew we were pretty set in the bullpen — we knew Enns was ready to go and Trent could throw a couple innings again, and that’s exactly what happened.”
After allowing Miami to tie the game in the fourth inning with an error in the field, shortstop Robbie Harman redeemed himself with a sacrifice fly that scored senior Ricky Clark, giving CMU a 2-1 lead.
Senior Dale Cornstubble’s led the three-run ninth inning with a two-run single.
“We were working really hard to at least tag one run on the board,” Jaksa said. “As it worked out, we got a couple of really nice hits … all of sudden it turned into a three-spot. They’re all important in those close games.”
Game 1
Starting pitcher Jake Sabol (2-3) allowed four runs in the second inning to give Miami a 6-3 win in the first game of the doubleheader.
“He did have have one tough inning,” Jaksa said. “They got four runs on four hits in that inning and we couldn’t overcome it.”
A double in the fourth inning by sophomore William Arnold drove in sophomore first baseman Nate Theunissen for CMU’s first run of the game.
After Miami (10-12, 1-2 MAC) extended its lead to 6-1, CMU threatened in the eighth, scoring two runners and leaving two more on base, but could not get the offensive production it needed as Arnold grounded out to second base to end the rally.
CMU plays its next game at 3 p.m. Tuesday when it travels to Valparaiso.
