Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, May 27
Avon, Ohio
4:30 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
27-34
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Central Michigan
31-28
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Eastern Michigan
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Central Michigan
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Photo by: Andrew Mascharka
EMU Advances to Championship Sunday With Dramatic 4-2 Win Over CMU
5/27/2017 8:37:00 PM | Baseball
Eastern advanced to its first MAC title game since 2008
PHOTO GALLERY
RE-LISTEN TO THE GAME
AVON, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The No. 3 seeded Eastern Michigan University baseball team used a late rally to knock off the No. 2 seeded Central Michigan University in dramatic fashion for the second time on the day, Saturday evening, May 27, at Sprenger Stadium. With the win, the Eagles advanced to their seventh Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game in program history and first since 2008.
It was a ninth-inning two-run home run from sophomore Max Schuemann (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) that got EMU on the board for the first time and put EMU up 2-1. Despite a rally back from CMU to send it extras, the Eagles prevailed with two runs in the tenth to get the huge victory.
Schuemann led the offense like he has all postseason, notching his second dinger of the tournament, as well as going for three RBIs. The third RBI came on a hit by pitch, which was his 19th of the season, setting the single-season EMU record. The game-winning hit was an RBI single off the bat of redshirt senior Mike Mioduszewski (Dexter, Mich.-Dexter) in the 10th.
The other heroics came on the mound as three pitchers combined to hold CMU to just two runs on three hits. Starting the day was senior Kevin Shul (Alburqueque, N.M.-Alburqueque Academy (College of Southern Nevada)), as he went the first six, only allowing one run on two hits while striking out four. Going the next two in relief was fellow senior Justin Thompson (Canton, Mich.-Plymouth (Concordia)) to get it to the ninth. The game winner was junior Justin McMurtrey (Redding, Calif.-Shasta (Butte C.C.)) who did not allow a run in the two innings he pitched to earn his third win of the postseason. He now has a team-leading seven on the season.
The game started slow as both teams were held without a hit through the first four innings, as both teams drew just a walk each. Shul faced the minimum though four, having his walk erased on a 5-4-3 double play, while striking out two.
CMU broke the dueling no hitters in the fifth with a leadoff single, but EMU promptly turned its second double play to keep the Chippewas off the base paths. Central wound up getting two more on-base later in the frame, but Shul's third K kept it scoreless into the sixth.
The Chippewas captured the lead in the sixth after a leadoff walk eventually led to a two-out RBI single, giving them the first run of the contest, 1-0.
EMU had a golden opportunity in the seventh, with a pair of chances to push a run across. Leading off the inning, senior Jeremy Stidham (Colorado Springs, Colo.-Sand Creek (Colby C.C.)) reached for the second time, this time via HBP. The next batter, senior John Montgomery (Anaheim Hills, Calif.-JSerra), notched EMU's first hit with a double off the wall in right field, but Stidham was cut down trying to score, keeping EMU off the board. The next two batters ended up reaching on an infield single and third HBP, loading up the bases, but a double play erased the threat, and kept EMU scoreless into the stretch.
Thompson entered in the seventh and continued where Shul left off, tossing a scoreless inning. In the eighth, EMU had another opportunity to score, getting runners to first and second with two outs, but CMU's closer was able to notch the big inning ending punch out to stifle the EMU offense once again, and keeping it 1-0.
The veteran reliever, Thompson, went 1-2-3 in the eighth to maintain the slim deficit. It ended up being exactly what they needed as Schuemann's two-run homer, his second of the tournament, gave Eastern its first lead and send it to the bottom of the ninth.
In the bottom of the ninth, the first two runners reached via walk, and were advanced on a sac bunt. The next batter tied it back up with a sacrifice fly, and, despite having the winning run on second, McMurtrey, who came on after the first walk, struck out the CMU batter to send it to extras.
EMU wasted no time regaining the lead in the 10th, as sophomore Drake Lubin (West Bloomfield, Mich.-Walled Lake Northern) led off with a single, and quickly advanced to third after a bunt and steal. Mioduszewski drove in the leading run, singling through the left side to make it 3-2. After another single and walk, the bags were loaded for the ninth inning hero, Schuemann. He took one for the team, taking a pitch in the back to score an insurance run to put Eastern up two, 4-2, into the bottom of the tenth.
McMurtrey returned for the 10th, and despite giving up a two-out single, was able to keep any more runs from scoring, locking in the 4-2 win and the trip to the final day of the tournament.
EMU will return to the field for Championship Sunday, tomorrow, May 28. The Eagles will need two wins over the No. 5 seeded Ohio University Bobcats to win the championship. Game one begins at noon, while game two would begin approximately 40 minutes after game one.
RE-LISTEN TO THE GAME
AVON, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The No. 3 seeded Eastern Michigan University baseball team used a late rally to knock off the No. 2 seeded Central Michigan University in dramatic fashion for the second time on the day, Saturday evening, May 27, at Sprenger Stadium. With the win, the Eagles advanced to their seventh Mid-American Conference Tournament championship game in program history and first since 2008.
It was a ninth-inning two-run home run from sophomore Max Schuemann (Portage, Mich.-Portage Northern) that got EMU on the board for the first time and put EMU up 2-1. Despite a rally back from CMU to send it extras, the Eagles prevailed with two runs in the tenth to get the huge victory.
Schuemann led the offense like he has all postseason, notching his second dinger of the tournament, as well as going for three RBIs. The third RBI came on a hit by pitch, which was his 19th of the season, setting the single-season EMU record. The game-winning hit was an RBI single off the bat of redshirt senior Mike Mioduszewski (Dexter, Mich.-Dexter) in the 10th.
The other heroics came on the mound as three pitchers combined to hold CMU to just two runs on three hits. Starting the day was senior Kevin Shul (Alburqueque, N.M.-Alburqueque Academy (College of Southern Nevada)), as he went the first six, only allowing one run on two hits while striking out four. Going the next two in relief was fellow senior Justin Thompson (Canton, Mich.-Plymouth (Concordia)) to get it to the ninth. The game winner was junior Justin McMurtrey (Redding, Calif.-Shasta (Butte C.C.)) who did not allow a run in the two innings he pitched to earn his third win of the postseason. He now has a team-leading seven on the season.
The game started slow as both teams were held without a hit through the first four innings, as both teams drew just a walk each. Shul faced the minimum though four, having his walk erased on a 5-4-3 double play, while striking out two.
CMU broke the dueling no hitters in the fifth with a leadoff single, but EMU promptly turned its second double play to keep the Chippewas off the base paths. Central wound up getting two more on-base later in the frame, but Shul's third K kept it scoreless into the sixth.
The Chippewas captured the lead in the sixth after a leadoff walk eventually led to a two-out RBI single, giving them the first run of the contest, 1-0.
EMU had a golden opportunity in the seventh, with a pair of chances to push a run across. Leading off the inning, senior Jeremy Stidham (Colorado Springs, Colo.-Sand Creek (Colby C.C.)) reached for the second time, this time via HBP. The next batter, senior John Montgomery (Anaheim Hills, Calif.-JSerra), notched EMU's first hit with a double off the wall in right field, but Stidham was cut down trying to score, keeping EMU off the board. The next two batters ended up reaching on an infield single and third HBP, loading up the bases, but a double play erased the threat, and kept EMU scoreless into the stretch.
Thompson entered in the seventh and continued where Shul left off, tossing a scoreless inning. In the eighth, EMU had another opportunity to score, getting runners to first and second with two outs, but CMU's closer was able to notch the big inning ending punch out to stifle the EMU offense once again, and keeping it 1-0.
The veteran reliever, Thompson, went 1-2-3 in the eighth to maintain the slim deficit. It ended up being exactly what they needed as Schuemann's two-run homer, his second of the tournament, gave Eastern its first lead and send it to the bottom of the ninth.
In the bottom of the ninth, the first two runners reached via walk, and were advanced on a sac bunt. The next batter tied it back up with a sacrifice fly, and, despite having the winning run on second, McMurtrey, who came on after the first walk, struck out the CMU batter to send it to extras.
EMU wasted no time regaining the lead in the 10th, as sophomore Drake Lubin (West Bloomfield, Mich.-Walled Lake Northern) led off with a single, and quickly advanced to third after a bunt and steal. Mioduszewski drove in the leading run, singling through the left side to make it 3-2. After another single and walk, the bags were loaded for the ninth inning hero, Schuemann. He took one for the team, taking a pitch in the back to score an insurance run to put Eastern up two, 4-2, into the bottom of the tenth.
McMurtrey returned for the 10th, and despite giving up a two-out single, was able to keep any more runs from scoring, locking in the 4-2 win and the trip to the final day of the tournament.
EMU will return to the field for Championship Sunday, tomorrow, May 28. The Eagles will need two wins over the No. 5 seeded Ohio University Bobcats to win the championship. Game one begins at noon, while game two would begin approximately 40 minutes after game one.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: McMurtrey, Justin (7-3)
L: BRADLEY, C. (6-2)
Batting:
2B: Montgomery, John 1
HR: Schuemann, Max 1
RBI: Mioduszewski, Mike 1 ; Schuemann, Max 3
SH: Peterson, Jordan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mioduszewski, Mike 1 ; Owings, Zachary 1 ; Schuemann, Max 1 ; Lubin, Drake 1
SB: Lubin, Drake 1
HBP: Stidham, Jeremy 1 ; Schuemann, Max 2 ; Jones, Nick 1
Batting:
RBI: ROBINSON, D. 1 ; GREENMAN, R. 1
SH: BORGLIN, A. 1 ; KRATT, E. 1 ; GREENMAN, R. 1
SF: GREENMAN, R. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: ROBINSON, D. 1 ; GILLES, Z. 1
SB: ROBINSON, D. 1
HBP: KRATT, E. 1 ; GREENMAN, R. 1
Game Leaders
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Players Mentioned
OF
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RHP
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/ BaseballScout day✅
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