Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
10-14, 0
Central Michigan
7-19, 0
Late Game Heroics Lifts Baseball to 5-4 Win Over Central Michigan
3/28/2024 6:36:00 PM | Baseball
Logan Hugo delivered the walk-off hit with a single to center field in the ninth
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team rallied to score two in the ninth inning and walked it off on a single off the bat of junior Logan Hugo to pick up the 5-4 win over Central Michigan University Thursday, March 28, at Oestrike Stadium.
Freshman Liam Baker (Cleveland, Ohio/Saint Ignatius) (1-0) got the win out of the bullpen for EMU (10-14, 5-2 MAC). The right-hander went 0.1 innings without giving up a hit, one walk and striking out one. Senior Bobby Jones (Loveland, Ohio/St. Xavier/Xavier) started the ballgame and went seven innings, surrendering four earned runs, on six hits, walking one and striking out seven.
How it Happened
Trailing 4-0, the Eagles first put runs on the board in the eighth inning. Eastern scored three runs in the frame, highlighted by a two-RBI double from junior Giano Zuccaro (Middleburg Heights, Ohio/Berea Midpark/Charleston).
EMU kept its deficit in check, holding Central Michigan scoreless before scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth to claim victory, walking it off on an RBI single off the bat of Hugo.
Game Notes
» Brendan Kleiman (Olney, Md./Sherwood/Frederick C.C.) registered a three-hit day, his fourth of the season. Thursday's contest marked the sixth straight where Kleiman has secured at least one hit. Overall, Kleiman has nine hits in the Eagles' previous five games.
» Jones pitched well for the Eagles. The 6-foot-5 right-hander went at least seven innings into his start for the second consecutive time as he previously tallied eight innings pitched in an 11-4 win over Western Michigan University, March 23. Thus far, Jones is the only EMU pitcher this season to notch consecutive starts with at least seven innings pitched. The former Musketeer also tied a career-high with seven strikeouts against the Chippewas.
» Cory Taylor (Shelbyville, Ind./Shelbyville) tabbed two hits and an RBI on the day. The two hits mark his seventh multi-hit day of the season, while the RBI goes down as his 18th, tied for the second-most on the team.
» Zuccaro also recorded two hits, one of which being a pivotal double to right field in the bottom of the eighth inning, collecting two RBI on the swing, Zuccaro brings his total to 14 on the year.
» With nine hits to Central's seven, Eastern out-hit its opponent for the 15th time this season. It holds a 9-6 record in such games.
» Entering the game in the ninth inning, Baker earned the first win of his college career, Baker did not allow a hit or run while walking and striking out one opposing batter.
» Drew Jones (Cleveland, Ohio/Brush/Ohio State) tabbed two hits, one coming in a clutch scenario to tie the game at four in the bottom of the ninth inning, as he drove in Cole Wilcox (Shiocton, Wis./Shiocton/Lake County) with a double to center field. The outing goes down as Jones' fourth multi-hit game as an Eagle, and the RBI marks his fourth as a member of the Eastern Green and White.
» Eastern knocked 12 hits in the game, marking the 12th time with double-digit hits in a single game this season. The Eagles hold an 8-4 record when recording 10 or more hits.
» Eastern Michigan pitching walked just two batters in the game. When walking two batters or less, the Eagles post a 5-3 record.
» With a win in the first game against CMU, Eastern has come out on top of the first game of every conference series it has played so far this season. The eagles first bested Ball State University, 10-9, March 8, before topping Western Michigan University, 11-4, March 23.
» Coming back in the ninth inning, Eastern secured its first win after entering the seventh inning down. Prior to today, the Eagles were 0-13 when trailing after six innings.
» Coming back from down four, eventually winning, 5-4, Eastern secured its first come-from-behind win of the 2024 season, also marking the first comeback win in the Robbie Britt era.
Historical Notes
» Thursday's matchup marked the 180th all-time meeting between the Eagles and Chippewas, after the win, Eastern holds a 97-83 record when facing CMU.
» Hugo (Essexville, Mich./Essexville Garber) singled through the middle, scoring Jones, and securing the come-from-behind win for the Eagles. The win is the first walk-off triumph for EMU since former Eagle Matt Kirk walked off the University of Toledo Rockets with a grand slam last season, resulting in a 12-11 victory, April 23, 2023.
Up Next
The Eagles and Chippewas will meet on the diamond for the second game of the series tomorrow, Friday, March 29, at 1 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Baker, Liam (1-0)
L: Bryce Hellgeth (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Jake Brill 1 ; Danny Wuestenfeld 1 ; Jacob Donahue 1 ; Nick Dardas 1
HR: Ely Stuart 1
RBI: Danny Wuestenfeld 1 ; Mikey Murphy 1 ; Ely Stuart 2
SH: Cole Prout 1
SF: Mikey Murphy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jake Brill 1 ; Danny Wuestenfeld 1 ; Nick Dardas 1 ; Ely Stuart 1
SB: Jack Eichler 1
Batting:
2B: Taylor, Cory 1 ; Zuccaro, Giano 1 ; Jones, Drew 1
RBI: Hugo, Logan 1 ; Taylor, Cory 1 ; Zuccaro, Giano 2 ; Jones, Drew 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McRae, Blake 1 ; Johnson, Lucas 1 ; Taylor, Cory 1 ; Wilcox, Cole 1 ; Jones, Drew 1
