Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Bowling Green
Pitcher’s Duel Ends in Eagles’ Favor, 4-1
4/2/2010 8:53:48 PM | Baseball
Both starters go late, but Skirving’s three-run blast in the eighth lifts EMU to victory
YPSILANTI
What was seemingly a pitcher's duel for most of the contest ended in the bottom of the eighth, as Skirving belted a 1-0 Ross Gerdeman offering over the wall in left field to end a 1-1 tie and give EMU a 4-1 lead going into the ninth inning.
From there, freshman pitcher Joe Battistelli (Allen Park, Mich.-Allen Park) shut down the Falcons in the ninth to earn the win.
The Eagles move to 11-15 on the year and 3-1 in the Mid-American Conference, while BGSU drops to 7-13-1 (1-3 MAC) with the loss.
The game's two starters, junior Corey Chaffins (New London, Ohio-New London) and Brennan Smith both had outstanding performances in the series opener at Oestrike Stadium, as each left the game to their respective bullpens down the stretch.
Chaffins went seven innings, giving up just one run on seven hits, while fanning a season-high 10 batters. Chaffins' 10 strikeouts tie the most by an EMU pitcher this season and are the most since he tallied 14 versus Ball State University, May 1, last season. For BGSU, Smith, the reigning MAC Pitcher of the Year, went seven and two-thirds, giving up two runs (one earned) on seven hits and three walks, while striking out six Eagles.
Skirving led the Eagles at the plate in the win, finishing 2-for-4 and driving in all four of Eastern Michigan's runs. Seniors Andrew Marshall (Mason, Mich.-Mason) and Aaron Crooks (Toledo, Ohio-Ottawa Hills) both collected two hits for EMU.
The Falcons threatened to post the game's first runs in the top of the third, as a one-out triple to the gap in right center by Jon Berti gave BGSU momentum. But Chaffins battled to get out of the inning without any damage, as he managed to strike out Matthew Pitzulo and get Logan Meisler to groundout to Crooks to keep the game scoreless.
But, the Eagles answered an inning later, as Skirving hit a 1-0 Brennan Smith pitch through the right side to score senior Todd Graves (St. Marys, Ohio-St. Marys Memorial) to make it a 1-1 game. And Skirving was not done doing damage at the plate, as his opposite field three-run blast in the bottom of the eighth proved to be the difference maker, giving the Eagles a 4-1 lead, one they would not relinquish down the stretch.
Originally scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., tomorrow's game between the Eagles and Falcons will now begin at 1 p.m. at Oestrike Stadium.
