CMU 13, WMU 12: Walk-off single in the 9th caps slugfest
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio - It took all nine innings to win this one.
Just when the Central Michigan baseball team thought it had put rival Western Michigan away, the Broncos came storming back.
Trailing by a run entering the ninth inning Friday at V.A. Memorial Stadium, CMU scored two runs, capped off by a walk-off single from junior catcher Will Arnold, to win 13-12 stay alive in the Mid-American Conference tournament. The Chippewas advance to play No. 3 Miami at 7:30 p.m.
"The bases were loaded and I knew he had to come with a good pitch," Arnold said. "I was looking for something over the middle of the plate and I did, and I got it to the outfield."
The game was an offensive roller coaster throughout as both teams combined for 25 runs and 28 hits. WMU kicked off the scoring, bringing three runs across the plate in the top of the first off starter Jake Sabol. CMU came back with two in the bottom half, but the real damage came in the second.
Junior Sam Russell led off the second with a solo home run to tie the game, an inning in which the team scored eight runs on seven hits, including four home runs.
With two outs, Tom Howard doubled down the left field to drive in two runs. Jordan Dean (3-for-5, three RBIs) followed up with a two-run home run, while Nate Theunissen blasted a solo shot to right field. After WMU pulled starter Mike Moyer, Russell hit his second homer of the game, giving the Chippewas a 10-3 lead.
"We were in a zone there," said CMU head coach Steve Jaksa. "The guys were just on fire."
WMU followed up with four runs in the third, highlighted by a three-run home run from Troy Forton. The Chippewas held on to a 10-7 lead as Sabol settled down in the middle innings, but the Broncos offensive came alive again in the seventh.
Leadoff hitter Jimmy Martinez homered to start the inning, while Simotes and Jack Scanlon followed with consecutive hits to knock the senior right-hander out of the game. With reliever Harvey Martin in, they tacked on two more in the seventh and scored again in the eighth to take a 12-11 lead.
"They've been through these games before," Jaksa said. "You play 57-58 games, you just keep playing. It's a game at a time and you got to play all nine innings. ... We're just happy to get by."
Facing elimination, Russell (3-for-5) beat out a ground ball to shortstop to begin the ninth. Matt Faiman followed by drawing a four-pitch walk against WMU closer Eric Heckaman and Robbie Harman slapped pitch to left field, loading the bases with nobody out. A wild pitch from Heckaman allowed Russell to score, tying the game.
After Emmett struck out looking, Arnold slapped a 3-2 pitch to right field, bringing in the winning run.
"(Confidence) is really high," Arnold said. "There's not a whole lot of quit in this team."
Martin earned the win after allowing one earned run on four hits in three innings pitched. Senior right-hander Bryce Morrow is expected to start against Miami.
