Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, March 6
Louisville, Ky.
12 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
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Bellarmine
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Eastern Michigan
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Bellarmine
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Baseball Splits Saturday Doubleheader With Bellarmine
3/6/2021 6:17:00 PM | Baseball
Eastern dropped the first game, 2-1, before coming back to take the second, 12-6
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team split its Saturday doubleheader with Bellarmine University today, March 6, at Knights Field. The Knights won the first game, 2-1, while the Eagles took game two, 12-6.
Eastern (4-1, 0-0 MAC) and Bellarmine (2-6, 0-0 ASUN) combined for seven home runs on the afternoon, with the Knights coming away with five of those seven. With the win, Eastern Michigan posted its best five-game start to a season since 1974, in which the team also started 4-1.
Game One: Bellarmine 2, Eastern Michigan 1
A pair of home runs by Bellarmine (2-5, 0-0 ASUN) was the difference-maker as the Knights defeated Eastern (3-1, 0-0 MAC), 2-1, in the first-of-two games, March 6.
Making his second start of the season, junior Justin Meis (Pittsburgh, Pa.-Bethel Park) threw 5.0 innings, allowing five hits and recording a season-high five strikeouts. Turning the ball over to junior Zach Fruit (Dundee, Mich.-Dundee (Lansing C.C.)) in the sixth, Fruit tossed one inning, allowing no hits and no runs in the process.
Freshman Mark Kattula (Sterling Heights, Mich.-Stevenson) paced the Eagles at the plate, tallying two hits and scoring the lone run of the first contest. Coming off his team-leading performance in the series opener a day ago, junior Will Oberg (Wayzata, Minn-Wayzata (Heartland C.C.)) launched the only extra-base hit and RBI of the early game for the Eagles.
The fourth inning was where all the action occurred, as all three runs of the game were scored in that frame. For the Eagles, Kattula notched a leadoff single to center field to get on. Two outs later, Oberg stepped to the plate and sent the ball down to right for a double, scoring Kattula and putting the Eagles up, 1-0, after the top half of the inning.
Bellarmine responded in the bottom of the fourth, launching back-to-back home runs in its first two at-bats of the frame to take its first lead of the series, 2-1.
The Eagles had a chance to tie in the sixth, loading the bases with two outs, but could not capitalize to extend the game.
Threatening to strike again in the sixth, the Knights started the inning with two runners on early. Fruit then entered the game, forcing two groundouts and catching a runner trying to take home on a wild pitch to keep the Eagles within one.
Unable to tie in the top of the seventh, the Green and White went down in order to end the game with Bellarmine taking the win, 2-1.
Game Two: Eastern Michigan 12, Bellarmine 6
Not deterred by the lack of offensive production in game one, Eastern Michigan produced its highest-scoring game of the season, scoring 12 runs on 10 hits, in the second contest of the afternoon.
At the plate, the Eagles recorded its first game of the 2021 campaign with multiple players recording multiple hits. Junior Taylor Hopkins (Mason, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller) led all players in the game with three hits, while adding two runs. Senior Jeff Timko (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Brother Rice) and Kattula followed with two hits apiece, with each smacking a home run in the game. Kattula finished with one RBI, while Timko led EMU with three RBIs.
Senior Luke McGuire (Shelby Twp., Mich.-Stevenson) made his first start and earned his first win of the season, tossing 4.2 innings, giving up four runs and five hits while striking out two in that span. For the second time this season, McGuire recorded consecutive 1-2-3 innings, doing so in the second and third today after accomplishing the same feat in the seventh and eighth innings at Alabama State, Feb. 27. Giving way to sophomore Cameron Wagoner (Tecumseh, Mich.-Tecumseh), Wagoner finished out the game and earned his first career save.
EMU scored first, as it has in all its game this season, getting on the board in the second inning. Seniors Eli Gora (Cincinnati, Ohio-Anderson) and Daniel Warkentin (Leamington, Ontario-Leamington District (Parkland)) both reached base via errors committed by the Knights. Notching his first hit of the game, Timko singled up the middle to put EMU up, 1-0. Veteran Drake Peggs (Knightstown, Ind.-Knightstown Community) followed with a two-run single to left that put EMU in front, 3-0. Capitalizing on the fourth error of the frame by Bellarmine, Peggs took third on a passed ball and was able to score after a bad throw to finish the inning up, 4-0.
Adding to its lead in the third, Hopkins opened the inning with a single, and Oberg reached base next after being hit by pitch. With two on, Gora doubled down the left field line to score Hopkins, followed by a groundout RBI from senior Christian Bault (Maineville, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller (Lincoln Trail)) to add a pair to EMU's lead, 6-0. Adding a final run in the third, Gora scored on a wild pitch to end the inning in the lead, 7-0.
The fourth-inning home runs for Bellarmine continued in the game two of the afternoon, as the Chris Gambert hit a home run with one runner on to put the Knights on the board, 7-2. Adding a run on a throwing error, Eastern's first error of the season, EMU's lead was cut to four after four innings, 7-3.
In the fifth, Bellarmine once again cut in to Eastern's lead, this time with a two-out, solo home run to pull within three, 7-4. A drawn walk and single from the Knights with two outs led to the entrance Wagoner to the game, who earned the strikeout to end the inning.
Blasting his first collegiate home run, Kattula gave EMU the 8-4 advantage after the top of the sixth. The additional run would not last long, however, as Bellarmine recorded a solo shot of their own in the bottom of the sixth to pull back within three, 8-5.
In its last ups at the plate in the seventh, the Eagles posted its second four-run inning of the contest, beginning with back-to-back singles from Hopkins and Oberg. After the pair advanced on a wild pitch, Gora launched a fly ball that would be deep enough to score Hopkins. For the second time in the same game, Warkentin reached base by error, this time scoring freshman Cory Taylor (Shelbyville, Ind.-Shelbyville), who made his debut for the Green and White in a pitch runner capacity, and extended the Green and White's lead to 10-5. The final runs of the games came courtesy of Timko, after launching his sixth career home run, and first since 2019, to put the Eagles up, 12-5.
Bellarmine added one final run of its own in the bottom of the seventh, but could not overcome the deficit and allowed Eastern to come away with the win, 12-6.
The Eagles will close out the series with Bellarmine tomorrow, March 7, at 1 p.m.
To stay up to date with all things EMU Baseball, continue to check EMUEagles.com, or follow the team on Twitter, @EMU_Baseball.
Eastern (4-1, 0-0 MAC) and Bellarmine (2-6, 0-0 ASUN) combined for seven home runs on the afternoon, with the Knights coming away with five of those seven. With the win, Eastern Michigan posted its best five-game start to a season since 1974, in which the team also started 4-1.
Game One: Bellarmine 2, Eastern Michigan 1
A pair of home runs by Bellarmine (2-5, 0-0 ASUN) was the difference-maker as the Knights defeated Eastern (3-1, 0-0 MAC), 2-1, in the first-of-two games, March 6.
Making his second start of the season, junior Justin Meis (Pittsburgh, Pa.-Bethel Park) threw 5.0 innings, allowing five hits and recording a season-high five strikeouts. Turning the ball over to junior Zach Fruit (Dundee, Mich.-Dundee (Lansing C.C.)) in the sixth, Fruit tossed one inning, allowing no hits and no runs in the process.
Freshman Mark Kattula (Sterling Heights, Mich.-Stevenson) paced the Eagles at the plate, tallying two hits and scoring the lone run of the first contest. Coming off his team-leading performance in the series opener a day ago, junior Will Oberg (Wayzata, Minn-Wayzata (Heartland C.C.)) launched the only extra-base hit and RBI of the early game for the Eagles.
The fourth inning was where all the action occurred, as all three runs of the game were scored in that frame. For the Eagles, Kattula notched a leadoff single to center field to get on. Two outs later, Oberg stepped to the plate and sent the ball down to right for a double, scoring Kattula and putting the Eagles up, 1-0, after the top half of the inning.
Bellarmine responded in the bottom of the fourth, launching back-to-back home runs in its first two at-bats of the frame to take its first lead of the series, 2-1.
The Eagles had a chance to tie in the sixth, loading the bases with two outs, but could not capitalize to extend the game.
Threatening to strike again in the sixth, the Knights started the inning with two runners on early. Fruit then entered the game, forcing two groundouts and catching a runner trying to take home on a wild pitch to keep the Eagles within one.
Unable to tie in the top of the seventh, the Green and White went down in order to end the game with Bellarmine taking the win, 2-1.
Game Two: Eastern Michigan 12, Bellarmine 6
Not deterred by the lack of offensive production in game one, Eastern Michigan produced its highest-scoring game of the season, scoring 12 runs on 10 hits, in the second contest of the afternoon.
At the plate, the Eagles recorded its first game of the 2021 campaign with multiple players recording multiple hits. Junior Taylor Hopkins (Mason, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller) led all players in the game with three hits, while adding two runs. Senior Jeff Timko (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Brother Rice) and Kattula followed with two hits apiece, with each smacking a home run in the game. Kattula finished with one RBI, while Timko led EMU with three RBIs.
Senior Luke McGuire (Shelby Twp., Mich.-Stevenson) made his first start and earned his first win of the season, tossing 4.2 innings, giving up four runs and five hits while striking out two in that span. For the second time this season, McGuire recorded consecutive 1-2-3 innings, doing so in the second and third today after accomplishing the same feat in the seventh and eighth innings at Alabama State, Feb. 27. Giving way to sophomore Cameron Wagoner (Tecumseh, Mich.-Tecumseh), Wagoner finished out the game and earned his first career save.
EMU scored first, as it has in all its game this season, getting on the board in the second inning. Seniors Eli Gora (Cincinnati, Ohio-Anderson) and Daniel Warkentin (Leamington, Ontario-Leamington District (Parkland)) both reached base via errors committed by the Knights. Notching his first hit of the game, Timko singled up the middle to put EMU up, 1-0. Veteran Drake Peggs (Knightstown, Ind.-Knightstown Community) followed with a two-run single to left that put EMU in front, 3-0. Capitalizing on the fourth error of the frame by Bellarmine, Peggs took third on a passed ball and was able to score after a bad throw to finish the inning up, 4-0.
Adding to its lead in the third, Hopkins opened the inning with a single, and Oberg reached base next after being hit by pitch. With two on, Gora doubled down the left field line to score Hopkins, followed by a groundout RBI from senior Christian Bault (Maineville, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller (Lincoln Trail)) to add a pair to EMU's lead, 6-0. Adding a final run in the third, Gora scored on a wild pitch to end the inning in the lead, 7-0.
The fourth-inning home runs for Bellarmine continued in the game two of the afternoon, as the Chris Gambert hit a home run with one runner on to put the Knights on the board, 7-2. Adding a run on a throwing error, Eastern's first error of the season, EMU's lead was cut to four after four innings, 7-3.
In the fifth, Bellarmine once again cut in to Eastern's lead, this time with a two-out, solo home run to pull within three, 7-4. A drawn walk and single from the Knights with two outs led to the entrance Wagoner to the game, who earned the strikeout to end the inning.
Blasting his first collegiate home run, Kattula gave EMU the 8-4 advantage after the top of the sixth. The additional run would not last long, however, as Bellarmine recorded a solo shot of their own in the bottom of the sixth to pull back within three, 8-5.
In its last ups at the plate in the seventh, the Eagles posted its second four-run inning of the contest, beginning with back-to-back singles from Hopkins and Oberg. After the pair advanced on a wild pitch, Gora launched a fly ball that would be deep enough to score Hopkins. For the second time in the same game, Warkentin reached base by error, this time scoring freshman Cory Taylor (Shelbyville, Ind.-Shelbyville), who made his debut for the Green and White in a pitch runner capacity, and extended the Green and White's lead to 10-5. The final runs of the games came courtesy of Timko, after launching his sixth career home run, and first since 2019, to put the Eagles up, 12-5.
Bellarmine added one final run of its own in the bottom of the seventh, but could not overcome the deficit and allowed Eastern to come away with the win, 12-6.
The Eagles will close out the series with Bellarmine tomorrow, March 7, at 1 p.m.
To stay up to date with all things EMU Baseball, continue to check EMUEagles.com, or follow the team on Twitter, @EMU_Baseball.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Miley, Deylen (2-1)
L: Meis, Justin (0-1)
S: Ethington, Anthony (1)
Batting:
2B: Oberg, Will 1 ; Peggs, Drake 1
RBI: Oberg, Will 1
SH: Jones, Nick 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kattula, Mark 1
HBP: Timko, Jeff 1
Batting:
HR: Finerty, Josh 1 ; Mehlbauer, Clayton 1
RBI: Finerty, Josh 1 ; Mehlbauer, Clayton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Finerty, Josh 1 ; Mehlbauer, Clayton 1
SB: Higgins, Matt 1
Game Leaders
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AB
3
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H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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