Baseball drops weekend series with Kent State
The Central Michigan baseball team fell below .500 in Mid-American Conference play after losing 6-4 Sunday to Kent State at Theunissen Stadium.
The Chippewas (17-24, 7-8 MAC) fell to back-to-back Mid-American Conference Champion Golden Flashes (23-16, 12-3 MAC) this weekend in a tough series.
Junior Rick Dodridge is still searching for his first win since Feb. 19 against Troy. He threw four 1/3 innings and gave up seven hits, allowing five runs and striking out three.
"I thought Rick was pretty good, but unfortunately, they hit a two-run homer in the fourth; the wind carried and went forever," said head coach Steve Jaksa. "It wasn't well hit, but he got it in the right place."
Senior Jon Weaver came in for relief of Dodridge and gave up a double that scored a run then struckout the next two hitters to end the inning. Weaver was solid from then on, throwing 2 and 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and striking out two. Junior Dietrich Enns came in to finish the final two innings, giving up just one hit and striking out one.
"Our whole bullpen in relief has been pretty good," Jaksa said. "I thought both Jon and Dietrich did a really good job. I just wish one of Rick's balls would of been at somebody."
It looked as if things were going to go the way of CMU after the first inning. Dodridge got a double play to end the top half. The Chippewas scored two runs off a RBI single for senior first baseman William Arnold and senior centerfielder Tyler Hall scored on single and error.
The Chippewas didn't score again until the sixth inning when Jordan Dean hit an RBI single up the middle that scored right fielder Eric Wrozek who hit a double.
Nick Regnier left the game after he ran into the right field wall trying to catch the home run ball in the fourth.
"He's going to the doctor tomorrow," Jaksa said. "We took him out of the game. He had some discomfort — we'll know more after he sees the doctor."
KSU won games two and three after senior Zach Cooper pitched his second complete game this season while throwing a 3-0 shutout with a career high of 13 strikeouts Friday.
Saturday, the Chippewas struck out 13 batters as well, but it was divided between two different pitchers.
Junior Patrick Kaminska started and went four innings throwing five strikeouts but also giving up nine hits and allowing four runs.
Redshirt freshman Dylan Rheault came in on relief and was very effective by striking out seven in five innings, only giving up two hits. He also walked five batters.
The batting wasn't all bad for CMU, as senior outfielder Sam Russell batted .500, and Dean hit .385 with an RBI and two multi-hit games.
"It's just a matter of getting into good counts with good pitches," Dean said. "I just tried to stay calm and see the ball."
CMU will hit the road next week at Notre Dame at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and a MAC weekend series at Akron.
"We're coming together pretty good," Dean said. "It's just a matter of playing good defense, and our sticks are going to come around in just a matter of time"
