MU 5, CMU 2: RedHawks too much for Chippewas as season comes to an end
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – After a while, playing from behind starts to catch up with you.
The Central Michigan offense couldn’t come through late, losing 5-2 against Miami before a listed 1,541 at VA Memorial Stadium, hours removed from having to make a ninth-inning rally to stay alive in the Mid-American Conference tournament.
The Chippewas, who came into the tournament as the No. 2 seed, returned to Mount Pleasant with a 31-27 overall record wondering, "What if?"
“We had a couple great opportunities and had some good swings, the ball just didn’t go through,” said CMU head coach Steve Jaksa. “It’s disappointing because we gave such a great effort and made such a great run, but for whatever reason fell a hair short.”
Miami led for much of the game on the pitching performance of starter Brooks Fiala, who allowed one earned run on seven hits in 7 2/3 innings. CMU jumped on Fiala early, getting a pair of hits, before junior infielder Tyler Hall was called out at home.
Instead of getting in early against the undefeated RedHawks, it was Miami who struck first. Following two perfect innings from CMU starter Bryce Morrow, Miami right fielder Ryan Curl jumped on the first pitch he saw and laced it down the right field line for a double. After a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt, Ryan Brenner drove in the first run of the game.
CMU tied the game in the fifth when junior designated hitter Nate Theunissen blasted a solo home run over the right field wall, continuing his postseason tear. The RedHawks responded in the bottom half of the inning.
In the seventh, it was Theunissen again tying the score with a double down the left field line. He was one of only two CMU players to have a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4. But just as the Chippewas got themselves back into the game, Miami responded with offense of its own to reclaim the lead.
“Everybody played their hearts out,” said Theunissen, who fought to hold back tears. “The outcome wasn’t what we wanted, but Bryce (Morrow) pitched a phenomenal game.”
Morrow, a senior, allowed five earned runs on 10 hits in 7 2/3 innings. Miami’s biggest runs came in the eighth, after the Chippewas loaded the bases but failed to produce any runs. The RedHawks strung three consecutive hits together to take a 5-2 lead, making a comeback difficult given their dominant pitching performance.
“Their starter did a really good job of attacking our hitters,” said senior third baseman Brendan Emmett, who went 1-for-4. “He was 'strike one' all night, so you got to give him credit. We just couldn’t get that timely hit when we needed, it seemed like.”
Emmett was one of eight seniors to have played his final game in a CMU uniform. Senior shortstop Robbie Harman was ejected in the fifth for arguing a close play at second base.
“It’s kind of bittersweet — I (have) eight great seniors that played their butts off and unfortunately we fell just a little bit short,” Jaksa said. “Any time you can repeat any kind of championship, it says a lot about the guys and leadership that you have.”
