Baseball loses series to Bowling Green after 15-inning loss
The Central Michigan baseball team needed extra innings to decide the series after splitting games one and two in its series with Bowling Green.
The Chippewas (12-16, 3-3 MAC) couldn’t outlast the Falcons (10-17, 2-4 MAC) after a 15-inning marathon ended 5-4 in favor of Bowling Green.
“Whenever you lose a game that long you’re not going to have a great feeling about the result,” head coach Steve Jaksa said. “It was hard-fought game on both sides, but the feeling on the bus is a little low for sure.”
BGSU jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the third inning after three CMU errors and a home run given up by starter senior Ryan Longstreth led to the end of his day.
In came junior Patrick Kaminska who pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out four and allowing three hits.
While Kaminska was holding off the Falcons, the Chippewas offense got it going with three runs in the sixth inning and the tying run in the seventh after junior Jordan Dean had a two-run RBI single and senior William Arnold had a pair of RBI singles.
“PK (Kaminska) has been great for us this season and we're really happy with him,” Jaksa said.
CMU closer Dietrich Enns went 6 2/3 innings and gave up the game winning hit with two outs in the bottom of the 15th inning.
“Enns was our closer, unfortunately we didn’t score any runs and he couldn’t close the game out,” Jaksa said. “His pitch count was getting high like a starters so we were ready to take him out. He just wanted the ball.”
As Enns was doing his job on the mound the Chippewas scored that fifth run, despite opportunities to take the lead late in the game.
In game two Saturday CMU fell into another early hole, this one a bit bigger going down 9-0 early, and it would battle back dropping game two 12-8.
In game one senior pitcher Zach Cooper threw a complete game shutout while striking out eight batters.
The Chippewas will end their five-game road trip at 4:05 p.m. Wednesday in Ann Arbor facing Michigan and return to Theunissen Stadium with Mid-American Conference play against Toledo Friday.
“I told the team the first two series is pretty much a wash,” Jaksa said. “We’ve been in this position and worse before and I have no doubt that this team will battle back.”
