Eastern Michigan evens series with 5-1 win in Saturday's game
Eastern Michigan seized the momentum of Saturday’s game in the top of the second inning, and kept it consistent through nine to get the eventual 5-1 win over Tennessee Tech, evening the three-game series with the finale slated for Sunday.
Eastern Michigan seized the momentum of Saturday's game in the top of the second inning, and kept it consistent through nine to get the eventual 5-1 win. Tech starter and right-hander Matt Shepherd left three Eagles on base headed into the bottom of the inning, but not before EMU earned three runs on four hits to kick off the scoring.
Zach Leonard ripped a single up the middle, and a fielding error put Robert Wendzicki on first. Matt Hitt's single send Wendzicki to third and Leonard across the plate for the first run of the game, and Wendzicki scored on a wild pitch. Shepherd's misfire put Hitt in scoring position for Ken Battiston, who's double notched the 3-0 lead.
The Eagles loaded the bases on a single from Rubino and a walk to Brent Ohrman, but a K by Shepherd held the lead at 3-0 and sent the Golden Eagles to the bottom of the inning.
Shepherd, who shouldered the eventual loss, worked EMU for six innings, fanning six batters and allowing five runs on eight hits before being relieved by freshman Justin Alexander.
Zach Stephens proved again to be the fuel for Tech, notching a single in the bottom half of the second inning and advancing to second base on Zephan Guyear's walk. A base hit by Chad Hayes threatened for Tech as it scored Stephens and put Guyear on third, and a steal put the tying run in scoring position. TTU couldn't finish the inning though, and left two men on to close it out.
EMU added a run each in the top of the fourth and top of the fifth, while two pitchers held the Golden Eagles scoreless after the bottom of the second. The Tech lineup did not put more than one man on base in a single inning until the bottom of the eighth.
Ohrman and Leonard each had two hits apiece for the Eagles, who hung nine on the Golden Eagles on the game, but Russell led the scoring with a 1-for-5, two RBI effort.
Chad Hayes' hit notched Tech's only RBI of the game; he went 1-for-3 on the day while Austin Wulf, Casanova Donaldson and Devin Rivers each contributed one hit each.
Steve Weber got the win for EMU and upped their record to 2-4, while the Golden Eagles dropped to 1-5 thus far on the season.
Both teams will meet up in Bush Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. to cap off the series with an afternoon finale.
