Eastern Michigan Athletics
Sunday, April 30
Buffalo, N.Y.
2 p.m.
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Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Eagles Shutout Bulls, 4-0, in Series Finale
4/30/2017 5:56:00 PM | Baseball
Junior Brent Mattson tossed a career-high 10 K's in seven innings
BUFFALO, N.Y. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team snapped its five-game losing skid in a big way, securing a 4-0 victory in the series finale over the University at Buffalo Sunday, April 30, at Audubon Field.
EMU (18-26, 9-6 MAC) used a fantastic start from junior Brent Mattson (Canton, Mich.-Canton) to carry them to victory, as the righty went the first seven innings, only allowing five hits and two walks, while striking out a career-high 10 batters. Finishing off the game was freshman James Harness (Huber Heights, Ohio-Wayne) who went the final two innings, only allowing three base runners, while striking out three. It was the first save of his EMU career.
Offensively, EMU used eight hits to get its four runs. Leading the way was senior John Montgomery (Anaheim Hills, Calif.-JSerra) who finished with a three-RBI day, including an RBI double. It was his team-leading fifth three-RBI game of the season. His other two RBIs came on sacrifice flies, which twice scored redshirt senior Marquise Gill (Paw Paw, Mich.-Paw Paw) who finished with a career-high four stolen bases. It tied the program record for steals in a game, set by John Rubino in 2015.
EMU wasted no time getting on the board, plating a run in the top of the first. After a leadoff single from redshirt senior Jordan Peterson (Gilbert, Ariz.-Highland (Chandler-Gilbert C.C.)), he got to third after a sacrifice bunt and ground out for Montgomery. The slugger cranked a double over the head of the left fielder to score Peterson and make it 1-0.
On the hill, Mattson had a fantastic first three innings, holding the Bulls (14-26, 6-9 MAC) scoreless with six strikeouts, which matched his career-high, maintaining the 1-0 game into the fourth. In the fourth, EMU tacked on another run on an RBI single from freshman Zachary Owings (Saline, Mich.-Saline), doubling the lead to 2-0.
The Eagles padded the lead in the seventh, getting another run after a leadoff base hit from Gill. He then stole his third bag, and advanced to third on a balk, allowing Montgomery to knock him in on the sacrifice fly, putting the tally at 3-0.
Mattson, meanwhile, continued to carve through Bulls hitters, shutting them down in innings four through seven, racking up four more K's to up his total to 10, and keep it 3-0 into the eighth.
In the eighth inning, Harness came on in relief and picked up where Mattson left off, getting through the inning without yielding a run, keeping it a three-run contest into the ninth. EMU tacked on insurance in the top of the ninth on another RBI sacrifice fly from Montgomery after a single, steal, and wild pitch that placed Gill on third. The insurance run made it 4-0 into UB's final at bat.
Despite giving up a leadoff double in the ninth, Harness then retired the next three, the final batter on a strikeout, to finish the 4-0 shutout victory.
EMU will complete its nine-game road trip when it travels to West Virginia Tuesday, May 2, for a single game against the Mountaineers. First pitch from Morgantown is set for 6:30 p.m.
EMU (18-26, 9-6 MAC) used a fantastic start from junior Brent Mattson (Canton, Mich.-Canton) to carry them to victory, as the righty went the first seven innings, only allowing five hits and two walks, while striking out a career-high 10 batters. Finishing off the game was freshman James Harness (Huber Heights, Ohio-Wayne) who went the final two innings, only allowing three base runners, while striking out three. It was the first save of his EMU career.
Offensively, EMU used eight hits to get its four runs. Leading the way was senior John Montgomery (Anaheim Hills, Calif.-JSerra) who finished with a three-RBI day, including an RBI double. It was his team-leading fifth three-RBI game of the season. His other two RBIs came on sacrifice flies, which twice scored redshirt senior Marquise Gill (Paw Paw, Mich.-Paw Paw) who finished with a career-high four stolen bases. It tied the program record for steals in a game, set by John Rubino in 2015.
EMU wasted no time getting on the board, plating a run in the top of the first. After a leadoff single from redshirt senior Jordan Peterson (Gilbert, Ariz.-Highland (Chandler-Gilbert C.C.)), he got to third after a sacrifice bunt and ground out for Montgomery. The slugger cranked a double over the head of the left fielder to score Peterson and make it 1-0.
On the hill, Mattson had a fantastic first three innings, holding the Bulls (14-26, 6-9 MAC) scoreless with six strikeouts, which matched his career-high, maintaining the 1-0 game into the fourth. In the fourth, EMU tacked on another run on an RBI single from freshman Zachary Owings (Saline, Mich.-Saline), doubling the lead to 2-0.
The Eagles padded the lead in the seventh, getting another run after a leadoff base hit from Gill. He then stole his third bag, and advanced to third on a balk, allowing Montgomery to knock him in on the sacrifice fly, putting the tally at 3-0.
Mattson, meanwhile, continued to carve through Bulls hitters, shutting them down in innings four through seven, racking up four more K's to up his total to 10, and keep it 3-0 into the eighth.
In the eighth inning, Harness came on in relief and picked up where Mattson left off, getting through the inning without yielding a run, keeping it a three-run contest into the ninth. EMU tacked on insurance in the top of the ninth on another RBI sacrifice fly from Montgomery after a single, steal, and wild pitch that placed Gill on third. The insurance run made it 4-0 into UB's final at bat.
Despite giving up a leadoff double in the ninth, Harness then retired the next three, the final batter on a strikeout, to finish the 4-0 shutout victory.
EMU will complete its nine-game road trip when it travels to West Virginia Tuesday, May 2, for a single game against the Mountaineers. First pitch from Morgantown is set for 6:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Mattson, Brent (4-2)
L: Cleland (2-4)
S: Harness, James (1)
Batting:
2B: Peterson, Jordan 1 ; Gill, Marquise 1 ; Montgomery, John 1
RBI: Montgomery, John 3 ; Owings, Zachary 1
SH: Gill, Marquise 1 ; Jones, Nick 1
SF: Montgomery, John 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Peterson, Jordan 1 ; Gill, Marquise 2 ; Schuemann, Max 1
SB: Gill, Marquise 4
HBP: Gill, Marquise 1 ; Schuemann, Max 2
PO: Peterson, Jordan 1
Batting:
2B: Brennan 1
Base Running:
SB: Tomasulo 1 ; Haefner 1 ; Dudek 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
3
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballIF/OF
/ Baseball
IF/OF
/ BaseballOF
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