Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
18-31
Michigan State
26-19
Eagles Fall Short in Slugfest to the Spartans
5/10/2017 7:10:00 PM | Baseball
EMU had its best offensive output in 10 games
EAST LANSING, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Despite a surge in the offense, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team could not keep pace in an 11-6 defeat Wednesday afternoon, May 10, at McLane Stadium. It was the most runs scored by EMU (18-31) in 10 games.
Eastern cranked out 12 hits, which tied the output of the Spartans (26-19). It was Eastern's first double-digit hitting game since April 18 against Oakland University. Three Eagles recorded multi-hit games, led by a career-high three-hit day from sophomore John Rensel Jr. (Tallmadge, Ohio-Tallmadge), including a double and an RBI. It was his first multi-hit game of the season.
Elsewhere, senior John Montgomery (Anaheim Hills, Calif.-JSerra) had a two-hit day, including his team-leading 10th homer of the season, a solo homer, as well as a double. It was the 18th dinger of his EMU career, placing him in a tie for 22nd all-time. Redshirt senior Marquise Gill (Paw Paw, Mich.-Paw Paw) also had a two-hit, two-RBI day, knocking in a pair on two singles. Finally, fellow senior Jeremy Stidham (Colorado Springs, Colo.-Sand Creek (Colby C.C.)) had a productive day, smacking a triple and drawing two walks, while scoring two of EMU's runs. It was his second triple of the season, and sixth of his EMU career.
The first two innings went by with no scoring, despite both teams leaving a few runners on base. The tie was broken in the third though, as MSU smoked a three-run home run to right field, making it 3-0 after three innings.
EMU got the bats going in the fourth, springing for a pair of runs on a trio of hits. A leadoff walk to Stidham, followed by a single from freshman Zachary Owings (Saline, Mich.-Saline) made it two on, no outs. After a groundout advanced the runners, Rensel ripped his second hit of the day, a single to right center, to score Stidham. The very next pitch, Gill singled to center, scoring Owings from third, and putting the tally at 3-2.
After a clean bottom of the fourth, the Spartans busted the game open in the fifth with five runs on four hits, including a three-run double, making it 8-2 midway through the contest.
Eastern chipped away at the lead in the top of the sixth, getting two more runs on three more hits. A single from Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) and a double from Rensel made it second and third for Gill. The senior cranked his second RBI single of the day, scoring the first. The next batter, freshman Devin Hager (Commerce Township, Mich.-Walled Lake Northern), knocked in the other on an RBI groundout, making it a four-run game, 8-4.
The Spartans had the immediate response though, getting the two runs back plus another, making it 11-4 after six frames. EMU would not go away quietly though, getting another two-run inning in the seventh.
Montgomery got the first run all on his own, as he smoked a solo home run into the river in right field. The next batter, Stidham, followed that up with a triple in the gap, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Owings, quickly making it an 11-6 ballgame. It was the sixth triple of Stidham's career, placing him in 21st place in the EMU record books.
Despite three scoreless innings down the stretch from the bullpen, including 2.2 from sophomore James Harness (Huber Heights, Ohio-Wayne), EMU's bats were held scoreless in the eighth and ninth to seal the 11-6 defeat.
EMU will get back into action this weekend with the final road MAC series of the season coming against the Northern Illinois Huskies. The series from DeKalb will begin with a 4 p.m. first pitch, Friday, May 12.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Gonzalez, Andrew (4-4)
L: DeVenney, Luke (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Mioduszewski, Mike 1 ; Montgomery, John 1 ; Rensel Jr., John 1
3B: Stidham, Jeremy 1
HR: Montgomery, John 1
RBI: Montgomery, John 1 ; Owings, Zachary 1 ; Rensel Jr., John 1 ; Gill, Marquise 2 ; Hager, Devin 1
SF: Owings, Zachary 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Montgomery, John 1 ; Stidham, Jeremy 2 ; Owings, Zachary 1 ; Jones, Nick 1 ; Rensel Jr., John 1
PO: Gill, Marquise 1
Batting:
2B: Kelley, Bryce 1 ; Roskelly, Chad 1 ; Gleaves, Danny 1
3B: Kelley, Bryce 1
HR: Durkin, Dan 1
RBI: Kelley, Bryce 1 ; Roskelly, Chad 2 ; Durkin, Dan 3 ; Troop, Alex 1 ; Bechina, Marty 1 ; Gleaves, Danny 3
SH: Gleaves, Danny 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hughes, Brandon 1 ; Kelley, Bryce 3 ; Roskelly, Chad 2 ; Jones, Robbie 1 ; Durkin, Dan 2 ; Byars, Matt 1 ; Bechina, Marty 1
SB: Hughes, Brandon 1 ; Jones, Robbie 1 ; Troop, Alex 1
CS: Troop, Alex 1 ; Gleaves, Danny 1
HBP: Roskelly, Chad 1 ; Durkin, Dan 1 ; Byars, Matt 1
PO: Bechina, Marty 1
