Home Runs Plague Eagles in Doubleheader Losses to Ohio - EMU Eagles

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ATHENS, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – Plagued by home runs, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team fell to Ohio University in both games of its doubleheader, April 10, at Bob Wren Stadium. Both games went into extra innings before the Eagles fell, 4-3 in nine innings in the first contest, and 2-1 in 10 innings in the second.

While Eastern (8-16, 4-11 MAC) hit a home run of its own, Ohio (14-11, 8-7 MAC) finished with four on the afternoon.

Both Eagle starting pitchers, junior Justin Meis (Pittsburgh, Pa.-Bethel Park) and senior Luke McGuire (Shelby Twp., Mich.-Stevenson) pitched the entire anticipated duration of the contest, each logging at least 7.0 innings.

Game One: Ohio 4, Eastern Michigan 3 (9 Innings)

Despite 7.1 strong innings from Meis, including a season-high nine strikeouts, the Eagles fell to the Bobcats, 4-3, in game one of Saturday's doubleheader.

Wasting no time getting started, Eastern Michigan plated a run in its first two at-bats. Senior captain Nick Jones (Battle Creek, Mich.-Lakeview) reached on an error by the shortstop to start things off, and junior Taylor Hopkins (Mason, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller) singled to right. Taking advantage of an error by the right fielder, Jones was able to make it around to score. Moving to third on a groundout, Hopkins crossed the plate to put the Eagles up, 2-0, after the first half-inning.

The Bobcats also found their leadoff hitter on base in the bottom of the first, as the first pitch resulted in the first hit of the day for Ohio. Two batters later, the Bobcats launched a home run to left field to knot the game at two after one inning of play. Ohio would tack on another run in the third by way of home run once again, taking the 3-2 lead after three innings.

Retiring the next six straight Bobcat batters, Meis not only hurled consecutive 1-2-3 innings in the fourth and fifth, but accomplished a feat no Eastern pitcher has all season in the fifth frame: striking out the side in order. While there had previously been 48 1-2-3 innings by the Green and White pitching staff, this was the first time all three outs were recorded by strikeouts. Getting the batter looking in the first at-bat, the Pittsburgh, Pa. native got the next two to swing and miss to end the inning.

Riding off Meis' strong fifth, the Eagles started the top of the sixth with two straight singles from junior Gabe Denton (Clare, Mich.-Clare (North Iowa)) and senior Jeff Timko (Rochester Hills, Mich.-Brother Rice), who were in turn moved in to scoring position by a sacrifice bunt from senior Daniel Warkentin (Leamington, Ontario-Leamington District (Parkland)). Although he did not reach base himself, senior Drake Peggs (Knightstown, Ind.-Knightstown Community) recorded the RBI on a groundout to tie the game, 3-3.

Neither side was able to breakthrough in the final scheduled inning of play, sending the game to extra innings for the third time this season.

Making its first pitching change of the game, junior Zach Fruit (Dundee, Mich.-Dundee (Lansing)) came in to relieve Meis with one out in the eight. Wasting no time, the Dundee, Mich. native forced a popout and strikeout with two runners on to send the game to the ninth inning.

Although senior Eli Gora (Cincinnati, Ohio-Anderson) was able to get on in the first at-bat of the ninth, Eastern was unable to score him in the top half of the frame. In the bottom half, Ohio was able to score the game-winner on a throwing error to take the first-of-two games, 4-3.
 
Game Two: Ohio 2, Eastern Michigan 1 (10 Innings)

Three home runs were the only scoring by either side in the second game between the Eagles and Bobcats, as EMU fell to OU, 2-1 in the final game of the doubleheader. 

McGuire was stellar on the mound for the Green and White, pitching 8.0 innings, striking out five, and allowing only three hits, all while not walking a batter.

For Eastern, its offense came from senior Christian Bault (Maineville, Ohio-Archbishop Moeller (Lincoln Trail)), who launched his third home run of the season to put the Eagles up, 1-0, in the top of the second with a leadoff home run to left field.

Eastern would hold on to the lead until the bottom of the third, when Ohio would tie the game with a home run for the second time this afternoon, hitting a two-out solo shot to even the game at 1-1.

A pitcher's duel from thereon out, McGuire continued to cruise through the Bobcats' lineup, as he faced the minimum in the fourth, sixth, and eighth innings, while only allowing one hit in each of the fifth and seventh to keep the Eagles in the game.

Taking over on the mound in the ninth, senior Justin Reinkall (Superior, Wis.-Superior (Southeast)) was challenged with back-to-back hits that put runners in scoring position for OU. However, the senior was able to get two popouts to end the inning and send to the 10th.

Unable to get any runners across in the top of the 10th, Ohio launched their second home run of the game to seal the victory, 2-1.

Eastern Michigan will face Ohio in the final game of the series tomorrow, April 11, beginning at 1 p.m. at Bob Wren Stadium.

To stay up to date on all things EMU baseball, continue to check EMUEagles.com, or follow the team on Twitter, @EMU_Baseball.

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Home Runs Plague Eagles in Doubleheader Losses to Ohio - EMU Eagles
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