Eastern Michigan Athletics
Sunday, May 14
DeKalb, Ill.
1 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
21-31, 12-9
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Northern Illinois
15-34, 9-12
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Eastern Michigan
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Northern Illinois
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Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Peterson's Monster Day Propels EMU to Weekend Sweep of Huskies
5/14/2017 5:13:00 PM | Baseball
The redshirt senior had four hits, including three home runs and nine RBIs
DEKALB, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) – Behind a three-homerun, nine RBI day from redshirt senior Jordan Peterson (Gilbert, Ariz.-Highland (Chandler-Gilbert C.C.)), the Eastern Michigan University baseball team completed the weekend sweep of Northern Illinois University with a huge 14-3 win Sunday afternoon, May 14, at McKinzie Field. With the victory, EMU (21-30, 12-9 MAC) clinched its spot in the 2017 Mid-American Conference Tournament.
Peterson finished the day with four hits, three home runs and a double, while setting the EMU program record for RBIs in a single game. One of his dingers was a grand slam as part of a two-home run inning in the third. It was the first grand slam for an Eagle player since Todd Graves hit one in the 2010 MAC Tournament, May 26. Additionally, Peterson is one of just 13 players in the country to have nine or more RBIs in a game this season, as well as one of just 38 to hit three or more home runs in a single game. He now has the second most homers for EMU this season with six.
In all, it was EMU's fourth straight double-digit hit game, and first double-digit run contest since scoring 11 against Oakland, April 18. It was the second most runs scored by the Eagles in a game this season.
On the mound, the pitching was once again superb, as in all, EMU only gave up five earned runs over the three games. The bullpen led the way today with junior Justin McMurtrey (Redding, Calif.-Shasta (Butte C.C.)) earning his fourth win of the season after going a career-high 4.2 innings in relief, only giving up one run on four hits. Senior Justin Thompson (Canton, Mich.-Plymouth (Concordia)) got his first career save after finishing out the final three innings, only yielding one run as well.
NIU (15-34, 9-12 MAC) was first on the board in the bottom of the first, getting an RBI single with two outs. On a single up the middle with runners on first and second, the ball was cutoff before reaching the outfield, and on a close play at the plate, the Huskie runner slid around the tag to make it 1-0.
Following a scoreless second, EMU stormed ahead in the third, springing for eight runs. Leading off the inning, Peterson smoked his first homer of the day into the trees in left to tie the game at one. After a walk, double, and another walk, the bags were loaded with no outs for freshman Zachary Owings (Saline, Mich.-Saline). The lefty singled in the second runner, giving EMU the lead, 2-1.
Following a pitching change, redshirt senior Marquise Gill (Paw Paw, Mich.-Paw Paw) tacked on another with a sacrifice fly. The next batter, freshman Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview), reached on an error to knock in another. After a strikeout, sophomore Max Schuemann (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) was drilled with a pitch to load the bags up and bring Peterson to the dish again. The veteran was able to go yard for the second time in the inning, this time a grand slam, to bust the game open 8-1.
With the seven-run lead, the relief pitcher, McMurtrey, settled in, keeping NIU off the board from the time he entered with one out in the second, through the fifth, only giving up three hits. NIU added a run off a triple in the sixth, but otherwise was held in check to keep the six-run lead into the seventh.
Eastern answered back in the top of the seventh when Peterson delivered his sixth RBI of the contest on a double down the right field line. The two-out knock made it 9-2 Eagles into the stretch. Thompson entered from the pen to pitch the seventh, and continued to make quick work of the Huskies in a scoreless frame.
NIU tacked one another in the eighth on a fielder's choice, but Thompson was able to pitch out of a jam to keep the comfortable lead into the final inning.
In the top of the ninth, Eastern continued to rake, getting five more runs to break the game open, 14-3. It started with a two-RBI pinch hit single from sophomore Drake Lubin (West Bloomfield, Mich.-Walled Lake Northern), a screamer up the middle to make it 11-3. One batter later with two on, Peterson capped his monster day with a three-run bomb, to give him nine RBIs on the day and put EMU ahead 14-3 into NIU's final at bat.
The Huskies got a base runner in the top of the ninth, but Thompson would ultimately shut things down and preserve the 11-run win.
Eastern now has its final midweek non-conference matchup of against the University of Michigan, Tuesday, May 16. First pitch from Ann Arbor is set for 6 p.m.
Peterson finished the day with four hits, three home runs and a double, while setting the EMU program record for RBIs in a single game. One of his dingers was a grand slam as part of a two-home run inning in the third. It was the first grand slam for an Eagle player since Todd Graves hit one in the 2010 MAC Tournament, May 26. Additionally, Peterson is one of just 13 players in the country to have nine or more RBIs in a game this season, as well as one of just 38 to hit three or more home runs in a single game. He now has the second most homers for EMU this season with six.
In all, it was EMU's fourth straight double-digit hit game, and first double-digit run contest since scoring 11 against Oakland, April 18. It was the second most runs scored by the Eagles in a game this season.
On the mound, the pitching was once again superb, as in all, EMU only gave up five earned runs over the three games. The bullpen led the way today with junior Justin McMurtrey (Redding, Calif.-Shasta (Butte C.C.)) earning his fourth win of the season after going a career-high 4.2 innings in relief, only giving up one run on four hits. Senior Justin Thompson (Canton, Mich.-Plymouth (Concordia)) got his first career save after finishing out the final three innings, only yielding one run as well.
NIU (15-34, 9-12 MAC) was first on the board in the bottom of the first, getting an RBI single with two outs. On a single up the middle with runners on first and second, the ball was cutoff before reaching the outfield, and on a close play at the plate, the Huskie runner slid around the tag to make it 1-0.
Following a scoreless second, EMU stormed ahead in the third, springing for eight runs. Leading off the inning, Peterson smoked his first homer of the day into the trees in left to tie the game at one. After a walk, double, and another walk, the bags were loaded with no outs for freshman Zachary Owings (Saline, Mich.-Saline). The lefty singled in the second runner, giving EMU the lead, 2-1.
Following a pitching change, redshirt senior Marquise Gill (Paw Paw, Mich.-Paw Paw) tacked on another with a sacrifice fly. The next batter, freshman Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview), reached on an error to knock in another. After a strikeout, sophomore Max Schuemann (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) was drilled with a pitch to load the bags up and bring Peterson to the dish again. The veteran was able to go yard for the second time in the inning, this time a grand slam, to bust the game open 8-1.
With the seven-run lead, the relief pitcher, McMurtrey, settled in, keeping NIU off the board from the time he entered with one out in the second, through the fifth, only giving up three hits. NIU added a run off a triple in the sixth, but otherwise was held in check to keep the six-run lead into the seventh.
Eastern answered back in the top of the seventh when Peterson delivered his sixth RBI of the contest on a double down the right field line. The two-out knock made it 9-2 Eagles into the stretch. Thompson entered from the pen to pitch the seventh, and continued to make quick work of the Huskies in a scoreless frame.
NIU tacked one another in the eighth on a fielder's choice, but Thompson was able to pitch out of a jam to keep the comfortable lead into the final inning.
In the top of the ninth, Eastern continued to rake, getting five more runs to break the game open, 14-3. It started with a two-RBI pinch hit single from sophomore Drake Lubin (West Bloomfield, Mich.-Walled Lake Northern), a screamer up the middle to make it 11-3. One batter later with two on, Peterson capped his monster day with a three-run bomb, to give him nine RBIs on the day and put EMU ahead 14-3 into NIU's final at bat.
The Huskies got a base runner in the top of the ninth, but Thompson would ultimately shut things down and preserve the 11-run win.
Eastern now has its final midweek non-conference matchup of against the University of Michigan, Tuesday, May 16. First pitch from Ann Arbor is set for 6 p.m.
Hear from the man himself, Jordan Peterson, after his monster day helped EMU to the sweep of NIU! #EMUBats #RiseUp pic.twitter.com/NR9iim8AWU
— EMU Baseball (@EMU_Baseball) May 14, 2017
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: McMurtrey, Justin (4-3)
L: Sims (4-3)
S: Thompson, Justin (1)
Batting:
2B: Peterson, Jordan 1 ; Stidham, Jeremy 1 ; Jones, Nick 1
HR: Peterson, Jordan 3
RBI: Peterson, Jordan 9 ; Owings, Zachary 1 ; Gill, Marquise 1 ; Lubin, Drake 2
SF: Gill, Marquise 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Peterson, Jordan 3 ; Mioduszewski, Mike 1 ; Stidham, Jeremy 1 ; Montgomery, John 1 ; Owings, Zachary 1 ; Gill, Marquise 1 ; Jones, Nick 2 ; Peggs, Drake 1 ; Lubin, Drake 1 ; Schuemann, Max 2
SB: Schuemann, Max 1
HBP: Montgomery, John 1 ; Jones, Nick 1 ; Schuemann, Max 1
Batting:
3B: Bynum 1
RBI: Yapp 1 ; Roberson 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Hook 1 ; Russell 1 ; Bynum 1
SB: Bynum 1
HBP: Jumonville 1 ; Bynum 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
6
R
3
H
4
RBI
9
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Baseball
C/IF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF/OF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
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