Eastern Michigan Athletics
Tuesday, April 26
East Lansing, Mich.
3:05 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
17
at
15
Michigan State
Lee Longo
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Randy Mascharka
Baseball Stuns Michigan State in 12-Inning Marathon, 17-15
4/26/2011 8:24:26 PM | Baseball
The EMU baseball team overcomes a 10-run deficit to defeat Michigan State on the road.
Box Score
EAST LANSING, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Lee Longo's (Mayfield, Ohio-Mayfield) pinch-hit two-run homerun in the top of the 12th inning completed an incredible come-from-behind marathon victory for the Eastern Michigan University baseball team as it defeated Michigan State University on the road, 17-15, in a game that took four hours, 17 minutes to complete at McLane Baseball Stadium, today, April 26.
The Eagles trailed 10-0 at the end of two innings and then 13-5 an inning later before scoring nine unanswered runs to take a 14-13 lead. Ben Magsig's (Okemos, Mich.-Okemos-Lansing C.C.) sacrifice fly tied it at 15-all in the ninth before Longo won it in the 12th inning with a two-run shot to deep left, his second homerun of the year.
Both teams combined for 32 runs on 39 hits. Six Eagles had multi-hit games with Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinley) leading the way going 5-for-5 with three RBI, his first five-hit effort of the season. Ken Battiston (West Milton, Ohio-Milton Union) went 3-for-7 with a homerun and four RBI and Brent Ohrman (Adrian, Mich.-Adrian) was 3-for-6 with an RBI and two runs scored. Six Spartans also had multi-hit efforts as Tony Wieber led them with a 4-for-7 performance.
Both teams also combined to use 13 pitchers. EMU's Kristian Calibuso (Brandon, Fla.-Florida State College-Jacksonville) threw four innings in relief to move to 2-0 on the season while Bryce Jenney (0-1) took the loss for Michigan State.
With the win the Eagles improve to 25-15 overall, a new high-water mark of 10 games above .500, while the Spartans fall to 24-13 with the loss.
Michigan State struck early with three first inning runs on four hits off Glover, who entered the game with a 1.67 ERA over 27 innings in 2011. After getting the first two batters of the inning to ground out, Glover surrendered five hits and a walk. A two-run single by Wieber put the Spartans on the board while a run-scoring double to right made it 3-0.
Other than a Leonard single to center, the Eagles could not get the offense going early on. Meanwhile, the Spartans had it going on all cylinders as they tacked on seven more runs on six hits in the second, all coming with two outs.
Glover's day was done after an RBI double by Wieber made it 7-0. Head coach Jay Alexander brought in Neil Butara (Euclid, Ohio-St. Ignatius) who gave up the subsequent three runs in the big inning, but threw 100 pitches over four and one-third innings in relief to give the Eagles a solid effort.
The Eagles finally got the bats going as they put up back-to-back five-run innings in the third and fourth. Daniel Russell (Grandville, Mich.-Grandville) hit a bases clearing, three-run double to right center field and Leonard added an RBI single to score Russell to cut the deficit to 10-5 in the third. Russell finished the day 2-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored.
Sandwiched between the two five-run innings was another Spartan scoring frame, their third in a row to start the game, as they took a 13-5 lead.
The Spartans needed two pitchers to get through the Eagle half of the fourth inning as EMU continued their comeback. MSU's Jeff Kinley relieved starter Andrew Waszak after three innings in which he gave up five runs, but Kinley couldn't get through the fourth and needed Stephen Doty to come and finish it. However, it wasn't before Leonard connected on his third hit of the day, a two-run double to right center to cut the deficit to 13-10.
After holding the Spartans to their first scoreless inning on the afternoon, the Eagles came up in the top of the fifth and tied the game on Battiston's three-run, 420-foot blast over the center field wall. The West Milton, Ohio native took the first Joe Zwierzynski pitch he saw and left no doubt as his third homerun of the season sailed over the fence.
Later in the inning, Tucker Rubino (Scottsdale, Ariz.-Horizon-Glendale C.C.), who entered the at-bat hitless on the day, blooped one into shallow right field to give the Eagles their first lead of the game, 14-13.
After 27 runs and 29 combined hits to that point, both pitching staffs combined to retire the next 11 batters to end the top half of the seventh.
The scoring drought wouldn't last long, though, as Michigan State regained the lead with two runs in the seventh capped with an RBI single by Jared Hook to make it 15-14, Spartans.
The fourth EMU reliever of the day, Taylor Dimmerling (Perrysburg, Ohio-Perrysburg), gave the Eagles one and two-thirds innings of no-hit baseball. The sophomore struck out two and walked just one in getting through the eighth inning.
Down a run in the ninth, EMU loaded the bases with one out and Magsig at the plate. The junior took the 1-0 offering from Bryce Jenney and smacked it to center field, deep enough to bring in the tying run and advance each runner to the next station.
After an intentional walk to Leonard to reload the bases, Jenney was able to get Rubino to pop out to the second baseman to retire the side. Calibuso came on in the ninth and retired the side in order to send the game to extra innings.
EMU was turned aside in the 10th and Calibuso came back on in the bottom of the frame. He got the first batter, Wieber, to ground out to second for the first out. The next batter, John Martinez, then lined one off the left field fence, a foot shy of being a walk-off homerun, but settled for a one out double. After a fly out to right to advance the runner to third, Calibuso then got Jordan Keur to fly out to center to end the threat.
In the 11th, Ohrman led off the inning with an infield single to short and Russell moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt. With Magsig at the plate, Ohrman looked to steal third but was thrown out. Magsig then flew out to center to end the inning and the Eagles went empty.
Following a third scoreless inning from Calibuso, Leonard led off the 12th inning with a single to right. Hitt then grounded into a fielder's choice that retired Leonard at second for the first out. Longo then pinch hit for Robert Wendzicki (Brook Park, Ohio-Midpark), who was 0-for-6 in the game, and deposited the first pitch he saw over the wall in left to break the 15-all tie and give the Eagles a 17-15 lead.
Calibuso, on for his fourth inning of work, retired the first two batters before giving up a double to deep left off the bat of Wieber and a walk to pinch-hitter Seth Williams, putting runners on first and second. He then got Andrew Carpenter to ground into the fielder's choice to end the game.
The Eagles and Spartans will play the second game of a home-and-home series tomorrow, April 27, in Ypsilanti. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. at Oestrike Stadium.
EAST LANSING, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Lee Longo's (Mayfield, Ohio-Mayfield) pinch-hit two-run homerun in the top of the 12th inning completed an incredible come-from-behind marathon victory for the Eastern Michigan University baseball team as it defeated Michigan State University on the road, 17-15, in a game that took four hours, 17 minutes to complete at McLane Baseball Stadium, today, April 26.
The Eagles trailed 10-0 at the end of two innings and then 13-5 an inning later before scoring nine unanswered runs to take a 14-13 lead. Ben Magsig's (Okemos, Mich.-Okemos-Lansing C.C.) sacrifice fly tied it at 15-all in the ninth before Longo won it in the 12th inning with a two-run shot to deep left, his second homerun of the year.
Both teams combined for 32 runs on 39 hits. Six Eagles had multi-hit games with Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinley) leading the way going 5-for-5 with three RBI, his first five-hit effort of the season. Ken Battiston (West Milton, Ohio-Milton Union) went 3-for-7 with a homerun and four RBI and Brent Ohrman (Adrian, Mich.-Adrian) was 3-for-6 with an RBI and two runs scored. Six Spartans also had multi-hit efforts as Tony Wieber led them with a 4-for-7 performance.
Both teams also combined to use 13 pitchers. EMU's Kristian Calibuso (Brandon, Fla.-Florida State College-Jacksonville) threw four innings in relief to move to 2-0 on the season while Bryce Jenney (0-1) took the loss for Michigan State.
With the win the Eagles improve to 25-15 overall, a new high-water mark of 10 games above .500, while the Spartans fall to 24-13 with the loss.
Michigan State struck early with three first inning runs on four hits off Glover, who entered the game with a 1.67 ERA over 27 innings in 2011. After getting the first two batters of the inning to ground out, Glover surrendered five hits and a walk. A two-run single by Wieber put the Spartans on the board while a run-scoring double to right made it 3-0.
Other than a Leonard single to center, the Eagles could not get the offense going early on. Meanwhile, the Spartans had it going on all cylinders as they tacked on seven more runs on six hits in the second, all coming with two outs.
Glover's day was done after an RBI double by Wieber made it 7-0. Head coach Jay Alexander brought in Neil Butara (Euclid, Ohio-St. Ignatius) who gave up the subsequent three runs in the big inning, but threw 100 pitches over four and one-third innings in relief to give the Eagles a solid effort.
The Eagles finally got the bats going as they put up back-to-back five-run innings in the third and fourth. Daniel Russell (Grandville, Mich.-Grandville) hit a bases clearing, three-run double to right center field and Leonard added an RBI single to score Russell to cut the deficit to 10-5 in the third. Russell finished the day 2-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored.
Sandwiched between the two five-run innings was another Spartan scoring frame, their third in a row to start the game, as they took a 13-5 lead.
The Spartans needed two pitchers to get through the Eagle half of the fourth inning as EMU continued their comeback. MSU's Jeff Kinley relieved starter Andrew Waszak after three innings in which he gave up five runs, but Kinley couldn't get through the fourth and needed Stephen Doty to come and finish it. However, it wasn't before Leonard connected on his third hit of the day, a two-run double to right center to cut the deficit to 13-10.
After holding the Spartans to their first scoreless inning on the afternoon, the Eagles came up in the top of the fifth and tied the game on Battiston's three-run, 420-foot blast over the center field wall. The West Milton, Ohio native took the first Joe Zwierzynski pitch he saw and left no doubt as his third homerun of the season sailed over the fence.
Later in the inning, Tucker Rubino (Scottsdale, Ariz.-Horizon-Glendale C.C.), who entered the at-bat hitless on the day, blooped one into shallow right field to give the Eagles their first lead of the game, 14-13.
After 27 runs and 29 combined hits to that point, both pitching staffs combined to retire the next 11 batters to end the top half of the seventh.
The scoring drought wouldn't last long, though, as Michigan State regained the lead with two runs in the seventh capped with an RBI single by Jared Hook to make it 15-14, Spartans.
The fourth EMU reliever of the day, Taylor Dimmerling (Perrysburg, Ohio-Perrysburg), gave the Eagles one and two-thirds innings of no-hit baseball. The sophomore struck out two and walked just one in getting through the eighth inning.
Down a run in the ninth, EMU loaded the bases with one out and Magsig at the plate. The junior took the 1-0 offering from Bryce Jenney and smacked it to center field, deep enough to bring in the tying run and advance each runner to the next station.
After an intentional walk to Leonard to reload the bases, Jenney was able to get Rubino to pop out to the second baseman to retire the side. Calibuso came on in the ninth and retired the side in order to send the game to extra innings.
EMU was turned aside in the 10th and Calibuso came back on in the bottom of the frame. He got the first batter, Wieber, to ground out to second for the first out. The next batter, John Martinez, then lined one off the left field fence, a foot shy of being a walk-off homerun, but settled for a one out double. After a fly out to right to advance the runner to third, Calibuso then got Jordan Keur to fly out to center to end the threat.
In the 11th, Ohrman led off the inning with an infield single to short and Russell moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt. With Magsig at the plate, Ohrman looked to steal third but was thrown out. Magsig then flew out to center to end the inning and the Eagles went empty.
Following a third scoreless inning from Calibuso, Leonard led off the 12th inning with a single to right. Hitt then grounded into a fielder's choice that retired Leonard at second for the first out. Longo then pinch hit for Robert Wendzicki (Brook Park, Ohio-Midpark), who was 0-for-6 in the game, and deposited the first pitch he saw over the wall in left to break the 15-all tie and give the Eagles a 17-15 lead.
Calibuso, on for his fourth inning of work, retired the first two batters before giving up a double to deep left off the bat of Wieber and a walk to pinch-hitter Seth Williams, putting runners on first and second. He then got Andrew Carpenter to ground into the fielder's choice to end the game.
The Eagles and Spartans will play the second game of a home-and-home series tomorrow, April 27, in Ypsilanti. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. at Oestrike Stadium.
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