Baseball team rallies back to beat Southeastern Louisiana
A comeback for the Central Michigan baseball team became realistic when Sam Russell had the bat in his hands after Nate Theunissen reached on error.
CMU (3-5), who trailed by two entering the seventh, took the lead for good when Russell, a senior outfielder, knocked in the winning run when he scored two off a double into left field during a tie game.
The Chippewas four-run seventh was enough to hold off a ninth-inning rally, beating Southeastern Louisiana 7-6 Friday in Lake Charles, La.
The Lions scored a run in the ninth that started off a Brock Hebert double, but couldn’t tie the game when Ladd Rhodes, who pinch ran, was caught stealing at second base to end the game.
It was a game of rallies, with the Chippewas getting the last laugh.
They opened the game with a run in the first inning and two in the second, but SLU took the lead when it scored two runs in the third and fourth innings.
The Lions added a run in the sixth, but the Chippewas did their damage.
It was a pitching carousel for SLU. It began the seventh inning substituting Joseph Koon for Jason Greenleaf, but once he walked Eric Wrozek, Dylan Hills took the responsibility, and he didn’t fare well.
Hills started strong, striking out Jordan Dean, but then he lost command hitting Pat MacKenzie and walking William Arnold.
With the bases loaded, Theunissen reached on error, scoring Wrozek, setting up Russell for the winning hit two batters later with two outs after Tom Lally pinch hit and struck out swinging.
Zach Cooper started the game for the Chippewas, pitching five innings, giving up as many hits and four runs—all earned. He walked and struck out six. Jordan Foley received the win, pitching two innings with an earned run.
CMU concludes the series at 3 p.m. Saturday against the Lions to begin a doubleheader that includes a game at 7 p.m. against McNeese State.
