CMU baseball wins two-straight against Stephen F. Austin
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CMU baseball players stand for the National Anthem before the first game of a double header against Ball State on Saturday at Theunissen Stadium.
Central Michigan baseball continued its stay in the lone star state this week with two back-to-back games against Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas.
The Chippewas won both games against the Lumberjacks on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was an offensive battle in both games as the team scored 11 runs both nights to complete the two-game series.
Game 1
Central Michigan was not the first team on the board to begin Tuesday afternoon as SFA scored first in the second inning.
Junior pitcher Sean Knorr began on the mound for the Chippewas. With two outs and one man on first base in the second inning, Knorr gave up two singles that loaded the bases and allowed SFA to strike first.
However, the Chippewas responded in the third inning. With two runners in scoring position, a passed ball scored junior Elijah Henning to get the first run for CMU. Stephen F. Austin answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the third.
Central Michigan went scoreless for the next five innings while SFA scored one run in the fifth inning to lead 3-1 going into the ninth inning.
The Chippewas heated things up in the top of the ninth, scoring 10 runs to secure the win against the Lumberjacks.
The dominant offensive inning was capped off by a 3-RBI triple from graduate student Jack Eichler. Eichler ended the night, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs.
Henning had the most runs on the night with three while senior center fielder Jacob Donahue had two runs.
The Lumberjacks remained scoreless in the bottom of the ninth, making the final score 11-3.
Graduate student pitcher Bryce Hellgeth got the win on the mound. He is now 1-0 on the season.
Game 2
Central Michigan had its hands full Wednesday evening going to extra innings to secure a late victory.
The Chippewas got out to the fast start in the top of the first when Webb doubled to left center in the first at bat of the game. Webb later scored on a wild pitch to give CMU the 1-0 lead .
The Chippewas added two more runs in the top of the second to widen their lead to three. Henning scored after Webb singled through the right side. Later in the inning, senior catcher Nick Dardas scored after Donahue singled to left field.
The Lumberjacks got on the board in the fourth inning after a home run to left center field.
Central Michigan had an answer in the fifth. Stuart Ingpen singled to center field and racked up two RBIs as Wuestenfeld and Donahue crossed the plate, widening the margin four.
Redshirt junior Robby Morgan IV continued to turn up the heat for the Chippewas in the sixth with a triple down the right field line, recording two RBI’s.
Morgan scored from sophomore right fielder Cole Prout’s single through the right side, making the score 8-0 going into the seventh inning.
However, Stephen F. Austin was not ready to back down as it scored eight-straight runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie up the game. Sophomore pitcher Jack Bach gave up three runs before senior pitcher Ben Vitas came in and gave up four runs.
Both teams went scoreless the next three innings to force an 11th inning. The Chippewas were able to get it done, scoring three runs to the Lumberjack’s two in the bottom half of the inning.
Donahue scored after senior right fielder Marquis Jackson was walked, both Stuart and Wuestenfeld scored on the next at bat after Eichler got on base on a fielder’s choice.
Senior pitcher Keegan Batka closed out the evening pitching for CMU, striking out two batters including the final out of the day.
Waters got the win improving to 1-2 as the Chippewas defeated the Lumberjacks, 11-10.
CMU improves to 3-3 before the team travels to Dallas to face off against Dallas Baptist on Friday at 7:30 p.m.