Baseball takes series against EMU with 11-9 win on Sunday
Coming off a game in which it recorded a season-high 19 hits on Saturday the baseball team answered with 11 hits and another win against Eastern Michigan on Sunday.
Senior Rick Dodridge started on the mound for the Chippewas. He came into the game with a 1-4 record and a 2.54 ERA in 49.2 inning pitched. His day finished after five innings where he allowed five runs on four hits with four strikeouts and five walks. He would get the win however, improving to 2-4 on the season.
The Chippewas pitching held the Eagles to only six hits on Sunday and 16 for the series while outscoring them 24-17 in the three games.
Head coach Steve Jaksa said he was proud with how his team bounced back from a tough loss on Friday to take the series.
“It was a key series in terms of coming back after a really tough loss where we made some mistakes and let that one get away on Friday,” Jaksa said. “To come back and win Saturday and Sunday convincingly; I was really pleased with how the guys played. Very proud with how the guys bounced back, their attitude and the will to win.”
Senior Jordan Adams had a big day. In the third inning he hit a three-run home run to left field, putting his team ahead 4-3. He finshed the day with two hits and five RBI. Sophomore Nick Regnier had one hit with two RBI and scored two runs while fellow sophomore Pat Mackenzie scored three runs and had one hit.
EMU would strike first. The first four men reached base and three scored on a throwing error and a single to center, which scored two.
In the third inning, MacKenzie doubled to deep right scoring Goodwin from second making it 3-1 before Adams followed up with a three-run home run.
Jaksa said that the offense he saw the last two games in this series was all about having confidence at the plate.
“Confidence ... the two out hits were infectious within the team,” Jaksa said. “Guys don’t have to feel like they have to do it, because they know someone will come through, and that’s what we’ve been doing in terms of a lot of guys getting hits. We bunted a lot better the last two days and got guys in scoring position … if we just play, then we can we can put a little pressure on some people.”
The Eagles had two men in scoring position with one out in the fifth. The runner from third scored on a passed ball, tying the game at four before the other would score on a sac-fly to left field; giving EMU the 5-4 lead.
In the fifth inning, the first two runners reached base for CMU. Freshman Logan Regnier singled to right field and then stole second. MacKenzie and Nick Regnier both walked to load the bases for Adams.
And he delivered with a single to left scoring two and putting his team ahead 6-5.
Sophomore Dylan Rheault replaced Dodridge on the mound in the sixth inning. Rheault pitched 3 1/3 inning, allowing three earned runs and no hits with three strikeouts.
Nick Regnier came up to bat with runners at first and second in the sixth. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch before Regnier doubled down the left field line scoring both the runners and increasing the lead to 9-5.
Regnier scored from third on wild throw from first base after an Adams strikeout. After hitting a triple, freshmen Neal Jacobs would score thanks to a single by sophomore Cody Leichman giving his team an 11-5 lead, just enough to allow his team to hold on after a furious comeback by EMU who plated four in the ninth.
The Chippewas will host Notre Dame on Tuesday at Theunissen Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 p.m.
