Baseball team loses despite Zach Cooper's 11 strikeouts
Despite a 11 strikeout performance by Central Michigan senior starting pitcher Zach Cooper the baseball team dropped the series opener against No. 23 Stetson 4-2.
Cooper threw seven strong innings allowing only two hits, but in the end he didn’t have the decision and the Hatters (4-0) won.
“I thought (Cooper) was outstanding and I couldn’t ask for anything more than that,” head coach Steve Jaksa said. “It’s tough, but we battle as a team and we have to move forward.”
Of the four runs Stetson plated none were earned. The Chippewas (1-3) had three errors on the night and two runners scored from the errors.
“We’ve got to be able to overcome them (errors) and do a better job in that one area,” Jaksa said.
CMU scored an early run in the first inning off an RBI single from senior first baseman Nate Theunissen and junior third baseman Tom Lally scored in the third inning off a wild pitch, but the Chippewas couldn’t score the rest of the night despite the opportunities.
Ten runners were left on base for CMU. In the sixth inning the Chippewas had the bases loaded with one out, but the Hatters brought in sophomore pitcher Cameron Griffin and a strikeout and groundout later the inning was over.
“We had a few missed opportunities,” Jaksa said. “I thought we could’ve had a little bit better approach when we had runners at the corners in the third but we weren’t able to capitalize.”
The Hatters came into the weekend ranked No. 23 in the nation with a team batting average of .360 with 39 runs and three home runs making Cooper’s 11 strikeouts and only two hits allowed all the more impressive.
“Everything was kind of clicking today, and I feel I executed pretty well,” Cooper said. “Getting out of the second inning without the two runs would’ve been nice but it didn’t happen.”
After today Cooper’s ERA is under one with 18 strikeouts and has allowed only four hits and one earned run in 13 innings but his record remains 0-1.
“I’m not really caught up in the wins and losses I’d rather have a win for the team,” Cooper said.
CMU will have to shrug off this tough loss quick with a double header tomorrow at 2 p.m. Senior pitchers Jon Weaver and Ryan Longstrenth start Saturday in hopes to continue to the work fellow senior Cooper started Friday night.
