Sunday's MAC Baseball Results

DeKALB, Ill. – Northern Illinois baseball drew even with Toledo in the bottom of the sixth inning, 3-3, to send the game to extra innings. But the Rockets drew first blood in the top of the 10th to clinch the victory, 4-3. Jordan Huffman and Jeff Zimmerman both finished 3-for-4 at the plate.

 

“We did a good job of battling to tie the game and send it to extra innings,” said skipper Ed Mathey after the game. “Tony Manville had one of his best outings of the year for us on the mound and shut Toledo down late in the ball game with his pitch count up. We had our opportunities for the win and played alright defensively. That’s just how the game plays out sometimes.”

 

The Huskies (11-26, 5-10 MAC) entered the bottom of the fifth inning in a 3-0 hole and would cut the run deficit to two after a single by Zimmerman and a triple by Alex Beckmann (Batavia, Ill.), his third of the season and seventh of his career, to make it a 3-1 game.

 

On the mound, Tony Manville would only allow two hits in his final three innings of work and did not allow a run to keep NIU within arm’s reach of Toledo (20-20, 9-6 MAC). Manville totaled eight innings of work, hurling 112 pitches, striking out five batters, walking two and scattering five hits.

 

In the bottom of the sixth, Huffman singled to center field and scored after Troy White hit a ball to shallow right field, causing the second baseman and right fielder to trip over each other, score Huffman and send White to third. Zimmerman would score White on a single up the middle to knot the game, 3-3.

 

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Northern Illinois loaded the bases with one out. The Huskies were unable to score and take advantage of the situation and force extra innings.

 

Toledo would score on a bunt down the third baseline to break the tie and make it a 4-3 game in favor of the Rockets. Huffman singled in the 10th inning but the lineup was unable to score him and gave NIU its second extra inning loss of the season.

 

Northern Illinois will return to the diamond Tuesday afternoon for a showdown with UW-Milwaukee, beginning at 3:05 p.m. at Ralph McKinzie Field.

MOUNT PLEASANT - Central Michigan was unable to come from behind on Sunday, falling to Kent State at Theunissen Stadium, 6-4. 

The Chippewas fall to 7-8 in the Mid-American Conference and 17-24 overall with the loss, while the East leading Golden Flashes improved to 12-3 in conference play and 23-16 overall. 

CMU jumped out in front, 2-0, in the first inning Sunday after senior Tyler Hall walked and advanced to second on a failed picked off attempt. Junior Jordan Dean then hit a single to left field, extending his hitting streak to 15 games, and Alex Miklos had the ball get away, allowing Dean advance to second and Hall to score the first run of the game. 

Senior William Arnold made it a 2-0 CMU lead with a RBI single up the middle one batter later and seniors Nate Theunissen and Sam Russell loaded the bases with a single and walk setting up what appeared to be a big inning. 

However, Kent State's Tyler Skulina was able to get redshirt freshman Tyler Huntey and freshman Joe Houlihan to strike out looking to end the threat and strand the bases loaded. 

A single run in the top of the second cut the CMU lead in half, 2-1, before high winds at Theunissen Stadium helped KSU claim the lead in the top of the fourth. George Roberts led off with a walk, and Sawyer Polen hit a ball high in the air in right field that the wind carried over the right field fence for a 3-2 lead. 

An error by the Chippewas to start the fifth and a walk to Jimmy Rider put runners on first and third, and back-to-back singles by David Lyon and Roberts extended the lead to three, 5-2, and a double by Tommy Monnott made the score 6-3. 

The Chippewas got a run back in the bottom of the fifth when senior Eric Wrozek led off with a pinch-hit double down the right field line and scored on a single by Dean. CMU added another run in the seventh on error by Kent State to pull within two, 6-4. 

Senior Jon Weaver and junior Dietrich Enns came in and pitched the final 4.2 innings and held Kent State scoreless, but the road team was able to retire the last six Chippewas to secure the series. 

Dean finished 2-for-5 on the day for his 24th multi-hit game of the season, while Arnold and Theunissen each went 2-for-4. Junior Rick Dodridge suffered the loss, giving up six runs - five earned - on seven hits and two walks over 4.1 innings. 

Skulina earned the win for Kent State, lasting six innings and striking out 10 after getting out of the first-inning bases loaded jam. 

The Chippewas return to action Wednesday night at Notre Dame. First pitch is set for 5:30. 

KALAMAZOO, Mich.- After splitting a doubleheader Saturday, Akron took this weekend's Mid-American Conference series against Western Michigan, 2-1, defeating the Broncos 6-1 Sunday.

Akron broke a scoreless tie with five runs in the fourth and added a final tally in the ninth. All six runs allowed by Western Michigan were unearned.

The Broncos scored their only run in the bottom of the sixth. Patrick Duncan reached on a fielding error by the shortstop and later scored on an RBI groundout by Dan Shutes.

WMU left-handed starter Mike Moyer was chased after 3.2 innings, giving up the five unearned runs in the fourth and six hits. Right-handed freshman reliever Will Nimke worked 4.2 innings and was charged with the run in the ninth. RHP Monty Porter recorded the final two outs.

Western Michigan falls to 17-20, 7-7 MAC after the weekend, while the Zips improved to 16-24, 9-6 MAC.

OXFORD, Ohio -- Miami starter Mac Thoreson pitched seven strong innings, allowing two runs on nine hits, lifting Miami to a 5-2 victory over Bowling Green Sunday afternoon at McKie Field. With the win, the RedHawks took the series by a 2-1 margin.

 

Bryce Redeker had two of Miami's six hits, while Nate Bowles drove in a pair with a two-out single in the first.

 

Thoreson overcame a slow start to improve to 4-3 for the year. He allowed four hits in the first inning, including an RBI single to TJ Losby, but pitched out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the score 1-0. In their next at-bat, the Falcons got a runner to third at the end of an infield single, but Miami first baseman Kevin Bower gunned out the runner trying to take home.

 

Over the same two innings, the RedHawks struggled to figure out Bowling Green starter Patrick Martin (1-3) as the lefty struck out five of the first six batters. But in the third, he struggled with his command. After registering a sixth strikeout to start the inning, Martin walked and hit the next two batters before a groundout put runners at second and third. Bowles stepped to the plate and ripped a line drive into left field to reverse the deficit, 2-1. Redeker followed with a single down the right field line to score Bowles, who had taken second on a throw home.

 

The Falcons pulled to within one run in the seventh inning. Thoreson allowed a hit to the first batter, then a error put runners on the corners. Another grounder resulted in the first out of the inning, but allowed the unearned run to score. He got a flyout to left and benefitted from Dan Walsh snare of a line drive at third to preserve the lead. 

In the bottom of the eighth, Ryan Curl doubled into right center helping Miami to two insurance runs. The first two RedHawks were retired but Redeker and Bower singled to start the rally. Curl, who had come on in the seventh as a defensive replacement, lined the first pitch into the gap, easily bringing home Redeker from second. However, the Falcons' right fielder stumbled, allowing Bower to beat out a play at the plate for a 5-2 lead.

Matt Rosinski pitched the final two innings for Miami, retiring all six batters he faced, two by strikeout. The save was his third of the season.

 

Miami returns to action on Tuesday with the start of a home-and-home series with Indiana. The RedHawks travel to Bloomington on Tuesday before hosting the Hoosiers on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

ATHENS, Ohio - Junior right-hander Seth Streich pitched a complete game to lead the Ohio University baseball team (22-17,11-4) to a 4-1 victory over Buffalo to complete a three-game sweep over the Bulls Sunday afternoon at Bob Wren Stadium.

 

Ohio's series victory was its fourth-consecutive series win in MAC play. The last time Ohio won four straight conference series was in 2009. Ohio has won eight of its last 10 games overall and nine of its last 11 contests in league play.

 

Streich's complete-game victory marked the fourth time this season a Bobcat starter has gone the distance. Over the weekend, Ohio limited Buffalo to just eight runs. Buffalo came into the game averaging just over seven runs per game.

 

The junior captain finished the game, allowing one run on four hits while striking out 10 batters to pick up his third win of the season. His 10 strikeout performance marked the second time this season, Streich has struck out 10-or-more batters. Earlier this season, he struck out 12 batters against IPFW.

 

Buffalo starter Michael Burke would take the loss dropping his record to 3-5. 

The offense was led by senior captain Ethan Newton (Norfolk, Va.) as he went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Freshman Jake Madsen (Cincinnati, Ohio) and junior Dan Schmidt (Kamiak,Wash.) also chipped in with an RBI as well.

 

Ohio would get on the board early in the first thanks to a RBI single in left field by Madsen, which drove in senior Jensen Painter (Willshire,Ohio). Painter got on base as he tripled to centerfield to extend his on-base streak to 39, making it every game this year.

 

The Bobcat offense put up three more runs in the bottom of the second courtesy of an RBI single by Newton, a passed ball and a bases loaded walk drawn by Schmidt, but left the bases loaded.

 

Ohio struggled offensively for the remainder of the game as it managed just one hit for the remainder of the game.

 

The Bulls were held in check as well as they managed just three hits for the remainder of the game. Buffalo threatened to score multiple times in the game, leaving at least two runners on base three time, but came away with just one run.

 

Buffalo added one run in the top of the seventh to make the count 4-1, but that was all the Bulls would get as the Bobcats improved to 20-1 when leading after seven innings.

 

Ohio returns to action on Tuesday as it travels to Eastern Kentucky. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.

MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State baseball team scored two runs in the bottom of the 10th inning to post a 5-4 walk-off victory over Mid-American Conference West Division leader Eastern Michigan Sunday afternoon at Ball Diamond, claiming the Cardinals' second series victory of the year. The Cardinals scored the game-winning run off a wild pitch on an intentional walk attempt with two outs scoring freshman Brandon Estep (Selma, Ind./Wapahani) from third base.

Ball State entered the bottom of the 10th inning trailing 4-3 when junior Kirby Campbell (Muncie, Ind./Cowan) led off with a single up the middle. After a sacrifice bunt moved him to second, Mitch Widau (Richmond, Ind./Richmond) drew a walk to move the tying run into scoring position.  

Estep reached on a fielder's choice as EMU got the lead runner out on the play, leaving runners on first and second with two outs. Sophomore shortstop T.J. Weir (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) tied the game as he lined a run-scoring single down the left field line scoring Widau with the Cardinals' fourth run. 

The Eastern Michigan left fielder misplayed the ball allowing Estep and Weir to move into scoring position setting the stage for the dramatic ending. The Eagles called for the intentional walk to load the bases but right-hander Joe Battistelli sailed the first pitch all the way to the backstop and Estep beat the catcher's throw to the plate scoring the game-winning run.

The dramatic ending was made possible by the best start of sophomore right-hander Jacob Brewer's (South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph's) career. Brewer went a career-high 8.0 innings and allowed three runs on just four hits while tossing a career-high 122 pitches in the no decision. Sophomore left-hander Nestor Bautista (New York, N.Y./George Washington) picked up his first career victory in relief, working the final 1.2 innings and allowing one run on one hit. 

Ball State (11-26, 6-9 MAC) opened the scoring quickly against EMU right-hander Ryan Lavoie, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first. Junior Wes Winkle (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown) led off the game reaching on an infield single and came home to score as Estep doubled over the left fielder's head for the game's first run. 

Weir kept the inning going as he reached on an infield single. First baseman Billy Wellman (Portland, Ind./Jay County) put the Cardinals in front 3-0 as he lined a two-run double off the right field wall to plate both Estep and Weir. 

Eastern Michigan (18-21, 9-6 MAC) finally broke through against Brewer in the top of the sixth inning as it took advantage of two walks and a single to load the bases with two outs. Brewer got two strikes on Daniel Russell before he hit a bases clearing triple off the right field wall to tie the game at 3-3. 

Eastern Michigan threatened in the top of the ninth as left-hander Devin Wilburn (Selma, Ind./Wapahani) issued two walks putting the potential go-ahead run in scoring position. Bautista came on in relief and induced an inning-ending ground ball double play to keep the game tied in the ninth inning. 

Eastern Michigan took its only lead of the afternoon in the top of the 10th inning as Bautista issued a two-out walk to Sam Ott who moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Lee Longo put the Eagles in front 4-3 with a two-out single setting the stage for the Cardinals' heroics in the bottom of the 10th inning. 

Battistelli (2-5) picked up the loss for the Eagles despite working 4.2 solid innings of relief as he allowed two runs on two hits. Lavoie lasted just 5.0 innings in the no decision allowing three runs, all in the first inning, on five hits. 

Ball State returns to action Wednesday afternoon as it travels to No. 17 Purdue. First pitch in West Lafayette, Ind., is set for 4 p.m.