Baseball team takes game one in Hawaii
Timely hitting and clutch pitching helped the Central Michigan baseball team take game one of its series with Hawaii 6-5.
The Chippewas (5-7) traveled to Manoa, Hawaii for a four-game series with the Rainbows (9-5) and they started on a good note getting with five players having multi-hit games while freshman pitcher Jordan Foley picked up his second win of the season and first as a starter.
CMU jumped out to a two run lead with a run in the second and fifth inning behind RBI singles from senior leftfielder Sam Russell and junior shortstop Jordan Dean.
Foley took a no-hitter into the fourth inning but found himself in some trouble in the fourth after giving up his first hit.
The Rainbows had runners on second and third with just one out, but Foley struck out the next two to escape with the shutout intact.
Hawaii was able to finally breakthrough the run column with one in the fifth, but with a runner on third and two down Foley struck out another batter.
With the Rainbows starting to put the pressure on the pitching staff the Chippewas helped ease out of it with two runs in the sixth and seventh innings behind a RBI from Russell, Dean, redshirt freshman catcher Tyler Huntey and junior center fielder Tom Lally.
After allowing two runs in the sixth Foley came out and freshman Sean Renzi took his place on the mound with one out and runners on second and third. Renzi got out of the inning with just one run coming and the lead still in hand.
In the seventh Renzi found himself in trouble with the bases loaded and nobody out, but he again got out with just one run allowed and the lead still in place.
Senior Jon Weaver came in for Renzi and pitched the final inning and a third allowing just one hit to pick up the save.
CMU will take the field again at 11:35 p.m. Thursday with senior pitcher Zack Cooper (0-1 2.50 ERA) on the mound to start.
