Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, May 27
Chillicothe, Ohio
9 a.m.
Eastern Michigan University
12
vs
11
Northern Illinois
Photo by: Matthew Bliss
EMU Five-Run Ninth Sparks a 12-11 Extra-Inning Win Over NIU
5/27/2011 1:07:46 PM | Baseball
The Eagles posted five runs in the ninth innings and the winning run in the 10th to eliminate the Huskies from the MAC Tournament.
Box Score
Post-game interviews with Alexander, Rubino and Calibuso
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – A improbable comeback victory by the Eastern Michigan University baseball team was keyed by a five-run ninth inning and won in the 10th on Tucker Rubino's (Scottsdale, Ariz.-Horizon-Glendale C.C.) go-ahead RBI double to give the Eagles a 12-11 victory over the Northern Illinois Huskies, continuing their season at the 2011 Mid-American Conference Tournament at V.A. Memorial Stadium, today, May 27.
The win means Eastern Michigan's season will continue as it will take on Kent State in a rematch later this afternoon. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. pending the length of time taken for the previous game to be completed.
Both teams traded leads several times in the early innings with Northern Illinois taking what seemed to be a commanding 10-6 advantage into the ninth inning. However, the Eagles scored five runs with two outs in the ninth inning to take a brief lead before winning it in the 10th on Rubino's double.
It was Rubino's only hit of the game as the Eagles out-hit the Huskies 20-17 in the contest. Brent Ohrman (Adrian, Mich.-Adrian), Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinley), Daniel Russell (Grandville, Mich.-Grandville) and Lee Longo (Mayfield, Ohio-Mayfield) each tallied three hits apiece while three others recorded multi-hit games as well. NIU's Jamison Wells paced his squad with a 5-for-6 effort from the leadoff spot in the order. The ninth batter, Tom Kotis, turned in a 3-for-5 performance with several clutch hits.
Kristian Calibuso (Brandon, Fla.-Armwood-Florida State College at Jacksonville) came on in relief in the ninth to get the save, but settled for the win in the 10th, moving to 3-0 on the season. Zach Badgley (0-2) took the loss for NIU, which threw five pitchers in the game. Both starters, Corey Chaffins (New London, Ohio-New London) for EMU and Tony Manville for NIU, had rough beginnings with each going only three innings, but their respective bullpens limited the damage until the late innings.
EMU improves to 36-21 on the season while NIU finishes its season at 30-27.
Senior Ken Battiston (West Milton, Ohio-Milton Union) blasted his first career leadoff home run, taking a 1-0 pitch over the wall in right field to give the Eagles an early 1-0 advantage.
The West Milton, Ohio native entered the game marred in an 11-for-54 slump over his last 13 games, but seemed to break out of it as he added another run-scoring base hit in the second inning. The senior gave EMU a 2-0 lead with an RBI double to left-center field. He finished the game 2-for-6 with two RBI and a run scored.
Chaffins, cruising through the first inning and two-thirds, got the number nine hitter, Tom Kotis, to hit a ground ball to shortstop Rubino. The junior transfer from Arizona made an impressive diving stop and looked to get the runner at first to end the inning, but Kotis was called safe and allowed a run to score to make it 2-1.
It kept the inning alive and Northern Illinois took full advantage, tacking on three more runs on a trio of hits, highlighted by a two-run triple by Wells immediately following the safe call at first base the play before.
Trailing 4-2, the Eagles responded with two runs in their half of the third inning to tie the score.
Jeff Zimmerman continued the back-and-forth battle with a two-run home run to put his squad in front, 6-4, in the bottom of the third.
A leadoff double by Kyle Peterson (Chandler, Ariz.-Hamilton-Chandler-Gilbert C.C.) in the top of the fourth ended the day for Manville, who entered his start with a nine-game winning streak spanning over three months. Manville allowed five runs on nine hits over three and a third innings.
Reliever Alex Klonowski gave up an RBI single to Ohrman, cutting the NIU lead to 6-5 before getting Leonard to ground into the inning-ending double play.
It was a short outing for the senior starter Chaffins as well, going just three-plus innings and allowing seven runs on nine hits including a fourth inning home run to Kotis to give the Huskies a 7-5 lead.
Sophomore right-hander Brian Valente (Macomb, Mich.-Eisenhower-Saginaw Valley State) came on in relief for the Green and White and took a couple innings to get his bearings as NIU built a 10-6 lead, but settled down to hold the Huskies scoreless in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
Trailing by four runs heading into the ninth inning, back-to-back singles by Leonard and Ben Magsig (Okemos, Mich.-Okemos-Lansing C.C.) with one out instilled life in the EMU offense which had gone scoreless in the previous three innings leading up to that point. With two on and one out, NIU decided to go to their stud closer, Kyle Glancy, who entered the game with 12 saves on the season.
The first batter he faced, Rubino, grounded right back to Glancy. He turned to second, but misfired it with a toss to the second baseman backing up the shortstop who was in fact covering the bag, and only got the one out at first base.
From there, the Eagles went on to score five runs, capped with a two-run double by Peterson that not only tied the game, but gave EMU an 11-10 lead. Peterson finished 2-for-3 with a walk, two RBI and a run scored.
Calibuso came on in the bottom of the ninth and the Huskies got the leadoff runner on as Rubino overthrew Kyle Klein (Grand Rapids, Mich.-West Catholic) at first base following a difficult backhand play at shortstop. A sacrifice bunt went for naught as Troy White popped out to Magsig at third before a walk to MAC Freshman of the Year, Jeff Zimmerman, put runners at first and second.
Kevin Smith was then called on to pinch hit and came through with a run-scoring single through the left side to tie the game at 11-apiece.
With two on and two outs, Calibuso then got Kotis to strike out looking and sent the game to extra-innings.
In the Eagle half of the 10th inning, Ohrman led off with an infield hit. Two batters later, the junior stood on second base with Rubino at the plate. The other half of the Arizona contingent one-upped his fellow state mate, Peterson, by doubling home Ohrman for the go-ahead run.
Leading 12-11, Calibuso came back out for the 10th and surrendered a leadoff single to Wells. A sacrifice bunt advanced him into scoring position and then to third base on a wild pitch. After a walk to NIU's leading hitter Alex Jones, Calibuso was able to get Brian Riegler to pop out and White to fly out to put a bow on the thrilling comeback win.
The Eagles and Golden Flashes will meet for the second time in as many days this afternoon. KSU posted a 5-4 comeback victory over the Eagles on Thursday. EMU will need to beat the Golden Flashes twice to advance to the championship game Saturday afternoon.
Post-game interviews with Alexander, Rubino and Calibuso
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – A improbable comeback victory by the Eastern Michigan University baseball team was keyed by a five-run ninth inning and won in the 10th on Tucker Rubino's (Scottsdale, Ariz.-Horizon-Glendale C.C.) go-ahead RBI double to give the Eagles a 12-11 victory over the Northern Illinois Huskies, continuing their season at the 2011 Mid-American Conference Tournament at V.A. Memorial Stadium, today, May 27.
The win means Eastern Michigan's season will continue as it will take on Kent State in a rematch later this afternoon. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. pending the length of time taken for the previous game to be completed.
Both teams traded leads several times in the early innings with Northern Illinois taking what seemed to be a commanding 10-6 advantage into the ninth inning. However, the Eagles scored five runs with two outs in the ninth inning to take a brief lead before winning it in the 10th on Rubino's double.
It was Rubino's only hit of the game as the Eagles out-hit the Huskies 20-17 in the contest. Brent Ohrman (Adrian, Mich.-Adrian), Zack Leonard (Canton, Ohio-McKinley), Daniel Russell (Grandville, Mich.-Grandville) and Lee Longo (Mayfield, Ohio-Mayfield) each tallied three hits apiece while three others recorded multi-hit games as well. NIU's Jamison Wells paced his squad with a 5-for-6 effort from the leadoff spot in the order. The ninth batter, Tom Kotis, turned in a 3-for-5 performance with several clutch hits.
Kristian Calibuso (Brandon, Fla.-Armwood-Florida State College at Jacksonville) came on in relief in the ninth to get the save, but settled for the win in the 10th, moving to 3-0 on the season. Zach Badgley (0-2) took the loss for NIU, which threw five pitchers in the game. Both starters, Corey Chaffins (New London, Ohio-New London) for EMU and Tony Manville for NIU, had rough beginnings with each going only three innings, but their respective bullpens limited the damage until the late innings.
EMU improves to 36-21 on the season while NIU finishes its season at 30-27.
Senior Ken Battiston (West Milton, Ohio-Milton Union) blasted his first career leadoff home run, taking a 1-0 pitch over the wall in right field to give the Eagles an early 1-0 advantage.
The West Milton, Ohio native entered the game marred in an 11-for-54 slump over his last 13 games, but seemed to break out of it as he added another run-scoring base hit in the second inning. The senior gave EMU a 2-0 lead with an RBI double to left-center field. He finished the game 2-for-6 with two RBI and a run scored.
Chaffins, cruising through the first inning and two-thirds, got the number nine hitter, Tom Kotis, to hit a ground ball to shortstop Rubino. The junior transfer from Arizona made an impressive diving stop and looked to get the runner at first to end the inning, but Kotis was called safe and allowed a run to score to make it 2-1.
It kept the inning alive and Northern Illinois took full advantage, tacking on three more runs on a trio of hits, highlighted by a two-run triple by Wells immediately following the safe call at first base the play before.
Trailing 4-2, the Eagles responded with two runs in their half of the third inning to tie the score.
Jeff Zimmerman continued the back-and-forth battle with a two-run home run to put his squad in front, 6-4, in the bottom of the third.
A leadoff double by Kyle Peterson (Chandler, Ariz.-Hamilton-Chandler-Gilbert C.C.) in the top of the fourth ended the day for Manville, who entered his start with a nine-game winning streak spanning over three months. Manville allowed five runs on nine hits over three and a third innings.
Reliever Alex Klonowski gave up an RBI single to Ohrman, cutting the NIU lead to 6-5 before getting Leonard to ground into the inning-ending double play.
It was a short outing for the senior starter Chaffins as well, going just three-plus innings and allowing seven runs on nine hits including a fourth inning home run to Kotis to give the Huskies a 7-5 lead.
Sophomore right-hander Brian Valente (Macomb, Mich.-Eisenhower-Saginaw Valley State) came on in relief for the Green and White and took a couple innings to get his bearings as NIU built a 10-6 lead, but settled down to hold the Huskies scoreless in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
Trailing by four runs heading into the ninth inning, back-to-back singles by Leonard and Ben Magsig (Okemos, Mich.-Okemos-Lansing C.C.) with one out instilled life in the EMU offense which had gone scoreless in the previous three innings leading up to that point. With two on and one out, NIU decided to go to their stud closer, Kyle Glancy, who entered the game with 12 saves on the season.
The first batter he faced, Rubino, grounded right back to Glancy. He turned to second, but misfired it with a toss to the second baseman backing up the shortstop who was in fact covering the bag, and only got the one out at first base.
From there, the Eagles went on to score five runs, capped with a two-run double by Peterson that not only tied the game, but gave EMU an 11-10 lead. Peterson finished 2-for-3 with a walk, two RBI and a run scored.
Calibuso came on in the bottom of the ninth and the Huskies got the leadoff runner on as Rubino overthrew Kyle Klein (Grand Rapids, Mich.-West Catholic) at first base following a difficult backhand play at shortstop. A sacrifice bunt went for naught as Troy White popped out to Magsig at third before a walk to MAC Freshman of the Year, Jeff Zimmerman, put runners at first and second.
Kevin Smith was then called on to pinch hit and came through with a run-scoring single through the left side to tie the game at 11-apiece.
With two on and two outs, Calibuso then got Kotis to strike out looking and sent the game to extra-innings.
In the Eagle half of the 10th inning, Ohrman led off with an infield hit. Two batters later, the junior stood on second base with Rubino at the plate. The other half of the Arizona contingent one-upped his fellow state mate, Peterson, by doubling home Ohrman for the go-ahead run.
Leading 12-11, Calibuso came back out for the 10th and surrendered a leadoff single to Wells. A sacrifice bunt advanced him into scoring position and then to third base on a wild pitch. After a walk to NIU's leading hitter Alex Jones, Calibuso was able to get Brian Riegler to pop out and White to fly out to put a bow on the thrilling comeback win.
The Eagles and Golden Flashes will meet for the second time in as many days this afternoon. KSU posted a 5-4 comeback victory over the Eagles on Thursday. EMU will need to beat the Golden Flashes twice to advance to the championship game Saturday afternoon.
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