Baseball Swept in Four Game Set at Washington State

PULLMAN, Wash. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team departed Washington State University winless after falling in both games of a doubleheader, 13-10 and 12-2, Sunday, Feb. 24. The Eagles (1-5) were swept in the four-game series by the Cougars (5-2).

Eastern Michigan put up a pair of five-run innings in the first game, but the Cougars responded with a four-run eighth inning to sneak away 13-10 winners. Game one saw the arrival of Brian Hill, who pitched in his first game for the Green and White after recovering from injury last season. Hill allowed six earned runs over four innings in a no-decision.

In game two, the Eagles trailed by a 5-2 count until a sloppy sixth inning resulted in Washington State scoring six times and putting the game out of reach.

The Eagles return to action Friday-Saturday, March 1-2, when they take on Kansas University and the University of Iowa at the Rock Chalk Tournament in Lawrence, Kan.

Game One

The Eagles clawed back from an early 6-0 deficit in the opener to charge ahead, 10-9, on a three-run homer from Jamie Simpson. The Cougars pulled away for good in the eighth with four runs for a 13-10 win.

Batters one through eight in the EMU lineup had at least one hit and the heart of the order consisting of Sam Ott (2-for-4), Lee Longo (2-for-5) and Adam Sonabend (2-for-5) had two knocks apiece. Sonabend and Simpson each earned three RBI and Daniel Russell knocked in a pair of runs with a two-RBI triple in the third.

Joe Battistelli (0-1) was saddled with the loss as a result of surrendering the winning homer to Jason Monda. Richie Ochoa (1-0) picked up the win for the Cougars, tossing 0.2 innings of scoreless baseball.

Hill struggled in his first two innings pitching in an EMU uniform, giving up six total runs and four earned. A Hill throwing error allowed Trek Stemp to score and make it a 2-0 game. Yale Rosen then singled in Monda for the third run of the first inning. WSU tacked on another trio of runs in the second with a two-run homer by Nick Tanielu and a solo blast from Rosen.

After WSU starter Scott Simon cruised through his first six outs, the EMU bats touched him up for a five-spot in the third to pull within a run, 6-5. Russell's triple with one out drove home Marquise Gill and Dae Bowden for the first two runs. John Rubino chipped in with a sacrifice fly and Sonabend notched a two-RBI single to plate Longo and Sam Ott.

The Cougars regained a three-run lead, 8-5, as Tanielu and Rosen remained hot turned in an RBI knock apiece. Washington State's lead grew to 9-5 in the sixth with an unearned run.

Eastern Michigan's offense was not done quite yet as it put together another five-run outburst in the seventh inning to take the lead for the first time, 10-9. Rubino touched home plate for the first run of the frame on an RBI single from Ott. Ott was brought home two batters later as Sonabend came through with EMU's fourth straight single. With Sonabend and Longo on base, Simpson cranked his first homerun of the season down the left field line to erase the WSU lead and put the Eagles ahead.

Reliever Brian Valente worked a scoreless seventh inning, but was pulled for Joe Battistelli after Ben Roberts hit a solo homerun with one out in the eighth to tie the game at 10 apiece. The Cougars delivered the dagger with two outs in the frame when Monda sent a shot over the right field wall for a three-run homerun.

In the ninth, Ott drew a leadoff walk, but the Eagles were unable to mount a third comeback.

Game Two

Ryan Lavoie (0-1) took to the mound to start game two, but was taken out after two innings over which he allowed four earned runs and four walks. Overall, EMU pitching surrendered 10 walks. Defense was an issue as well as the Eagles recorded four errors which led to four unearned runs.

Richie (2-0) pulled off the rare feat of winning two games in one day. He pitched just one inning and gave up one hit, but was the pitcher of record during the fifth inning when a win can officially be credited.

Mitchell McGeein hit his first-career home run, a solo shot to left field in the fourth inning. He went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. Ott was also 1-for-3 with a base on balls.

After getting the first two outs in the first, Lavoie struggled to find the strike zone. The sophomore threw back-to-back wild pitches and walked Rosen and Adam Nelubowich to load the bases. Roberts cleared the sacks with a double to left field to start the Cougars off with a 3-0 edge.

Both squads posted a run in the second and fourth innings to make it a 5-2 affair.

Washington State broke the game open with a six-run sixth inning as Ben Dartnell continued to struggle with his command and the EMU defense committed a pair of costly errors. The inning concluded with WSU needing just two hits to plate all six runs.

EMU was unable to muster any more runs for the remainder of the game as Cougars' pitching allowed just seven total hits.

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Team Stats

Sam Ott

Lee Longo

Adam Sonabend

Daniel Russell

Eastern Michigan Athletics