Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, May 27
Chillicothe, Ohio
4:30 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
4
vs
2
Kent State
Steve Weber
Photo by: Matthew Bliss
Eagles Beat Flashes, 4-2, to Force Semifinal Rematch Saturday
5/27/2011 8:16:20 PM | Baseball
EMU got early offense and solid pitching to defeat Kent State, staving off elimination to live another day in MAC Tournament play.
Box Score
Re-Listen to the Game.
Alexander Video
Weber Video
Taylor Video
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – Pitching was the name of the game for the Eastern Michigan University baseball team, beating Kent State, 4-2, to setup a rematch for a chance to go to the championship game. Sophomore right-hander Steve Weber (North Royalton, Ohio-North Royalton) got the win while Collin Taylor (Cincinnati, Ohio-Lakota West) earned the save in an intensity-filled setting from start to finish.
Weber (6-3) tossed seven solid innings, surrendering just two runs (1 earned) on seven hits and striking out three while working through six walks. Taylor allowed just one hit over the final two innings in earning his first save of the season.
Eastern Michigan got instant offense in the bottom of the first inning, building a 2-0 lead before adding another in the fourth and one more in the fifth. Both EMU pitchers combined to work through several jams as Kent State left 12 runners on base in the game. KSU starter Ryan Mace (5-2) pitched effectively over seven innings, allowing four runs (3 earned) on eight hits, but settled for the loss.
Ben Magsig (Okemos, Mich.-Okemos-Lansing C.C.) and Ken Battiston (West Milton, Ohio-Milton Union) each turned in 2-for-4 efforts while Daniel Russell's (Grandville, Mich.-Grandville) fourth inning RBI triple added some much-needed insurance. Meanwhile, T.J. Sutton and Joe Koch each went 3-for-4 with a run scored for the Golden Flashes.
EMU improves to 37-21 overall and extends its season while KSU falls to 41-15 with the loss.
Just as they did in the first game against Kent State yesterday, the Eagles took an early lead in the first inning. EMU put two runs on the board in the opening frame with a Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinley) RBI single and a Magsig run-scoring double to make it 2-0.
The Eagles added a two-out insurance run in the fourth inning with Russell's run-scoring triple to right-center field, allowing Sam Ott (Canton, Mich.-Salem) to come all the way around from first base.
Kent State got one run closer with a score in the fifth. A sacrifice fly by Evan Campbell scored T.J. Sutton to make it 3-1. Weber battled through a bases-loaded jam with one out to finish the frame by giving up just the one run.
It seemed as if Weber was always working with KSU runners on base, but time after time, he was able to get out of the inning without major damage.
Weber came out for the eighth inning, but surrendered a walk to David Lyon and a single to Sutton, forcing Head Coach Jay Alexander to make the switch after a stellar outing from the right-hander.
Taylor came on in relief and was impressive from the start, getting the first batter to hit into a fielder's choice where Magsig stepped on third base to retire the first out. The next batter, Joe Koch, slapped a single to left that looked to be enough to score pinch runner Troy Summers from second base, but Russell fired it home, catcher Matt Hitt (Fishers, Ind.-Fishers-Kishwaukee C.C.) absorbed the collision, and the Eagles were one out away from getting out of yet another jam.
Leonard then fielded a 2-1 pitch from Taylor that Derek Toadvine connected on up the middle and flipped it to Rubino at short for the final out of the frame.
In the ninth, Taylor retired the first batter he faced by getting Evan Campbell to ground out to Rubino at short, but then walked the next two batters with Travis Shaw acting as the potential tying run at first base. Both runners moved into scoring position on Ben Klafczynski's ground out to defensive replacement, Kyle Klein (Grand Rapids, Mich.-West Catholic), at first base.
Taylor then finished off the game by getting Lyon to ground out to second base, earning his first save of the season.
The Eagles and Golden Flashes will lock up one more time and for the third time in the tournament tomorrow morning for an opportunity to get to the championship game. A start time has not yet been announced. Check back at EMUEagles.com for updates and schedule changes.
Re-Listen to the Game.
Alexander Video
Weber Video
Taylor Video
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – Pitching was the name of the game for the Eastern Michigan University baseball team, beating Kent State, 4-2, to setup a rematch for a chance to go to the championship game. Sophomore right-hander Steve Weber (North Royalton, Ohio-North Royalton) got the win while Collin Taylor (Cincinnati, Ohio-Lakota West) earned the save in an intensity-filled setting from start to finish.
Weber (6-3) tossed seven solid innings, surrendering just two runs (1 earned) on seven hits and striking out three while working through six walks. Taylor allowed just one hit over the final two innings in earning his first save of the season.
Eastern Michigan got instant offense in the bottom of the first inning, building a 2-0 lead before adding another in the fourth and one more in the fifth. Both EMU pitchers combined to work through several jams as Kent State left 12 runners on base in the game. KSU starter Ryan Mace (5-2) pitched effectively over seven innings, allowing four runs (3 earned) on eight hits, but settled for the loss.
Ben Magsig (Okemos, Mich.-Okemos-Lansing C.C.) and Ken Battiston (West Milton, Ohio-Milton Union) each turned in 2-for-4 efforts while Daniel Russell's (Grandville, Mich.-Grandville) fourth inning RBI triple added some much-needed insurance. Meanwhile, T.J. Sutton and Joe Koch each went 3-for-4 with a run scored for the Golden Flashes.
EMU improves to 37-21 overall and extends its season while KSU falls to 41-15 with the loss.
Just as they did in the first game against Kent State yesterday, the Eagles took an early lead in the first inning. EMU put two runs on the board in the opening frame with a Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinley) RBI single and a Magsig run-scoring double to make it 2-0.
The Eagles added a two-out insurance run in the fourth inning with Russell's run-scoring triple to right-center field, allowing Sam Ott (Canton, Mich.-Salem) to come all the way around from first base.
Kent State got one run closer with a score in the fifth. A sacrifice fly by Evan Campbell scored T.J. Sutton to make it 3-1. Weber battled through a bases-loaded jam with one out to finish the frame by giving up just the one run.
It seemed as if Weber was always working with KSU runners on base, but time after time, he was able to get out of the inning without major damage.
Weber came out for the eighth inning, but surrendered a walk to David Lyon and a single to Sutton, forcing Head Coach Jay Alexander to make the switch after a stellar outing from the right-hander.
Taylor came on in relief and was impressive from the start, getting the first batter to hit into a fielder's choice where Magsig stepped on third base to retire the first out. The next batter, Joe Koch, slapped a single to left that looked to be enough to score pinch runner Troy Summers from second base, but Russell fired it home, catcher Matt Hitt (Fishers, Ind.-Fishers-Kishwaukee C.C.) absorbed the collision, and the Eagles were one out away from getting out of yet another jam.
Leonard then fielded a 2-1 pitch from Taylor that Derek Toadvine connected on up the middle and flipped it to Rubino at short for the final out of the frame.
In the ninth, Taylor retired the first batter he faced by getting Evan Campbell to ground out to Rubino at short, but then walked the next two batters with Travis Shaw acting as the potential tying run at first base. Both runners moved into scoring position on Ben Klafczynski's ground out to defensive replacement, Kyle Klein (Grand Rapids, Mich.-West Catholic), at first base.
Taylor then finished off the game by getting Lyon to ground out to second base, earning his first save of the season.
The Eagles and Golden Flashes will lock up one more time and for the third time in the tournament tomorrow morning for an opportunity to get to the championship game. A start time has not yet been announced. Check back at EMUEagles.com for updates and schedule changes.
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