Ball State University
Eastern Michigan
Baseball?s Rally Falls Short At Eastern Michigan, 6-5
May 02, 2009 | Baseball
Eastern Michigan broke through first against BSU right-hander Brad Piatt (Galveston, Ind./Lewis Cass) in the bottom of the first inning. The Eagles scored the first run without recording a hit as Piatt hit the leadoff batter Kyle Road. After a stolen base and a ground ball moved Road to third, Andrew Marshall lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to give EMU a 1-0 lead.
Ball State answered back in the top of the second inning against EMU right-hander Corey Chaffins. Junior catcher Zach Dygert (Angola, Ind./Angola) and freshman first baseman Ian Nielsen (La Porte, Ind./La Porte) led off the inning with back-to-back walks. After an out, junior right fielder Ryan Chenoweth (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead) tied the game as he ripped a run-scoring double to right center field to plate Dygert. Chaffins was able to work out of the inning without any more damage by the Cardinals.
The Eagles took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning as they tallied three straight singles to open the inning and plate the first run. Piatt was able to limit the damage as he induced a ground ball double play that allowed the second run of the inning to score.
Ball State responded in the top of the fifth inning as it took its first lead of the evening with three runs to take a 4-3 lead. Freshman left fielder Cody Elliott (Florence, Ky./Beechwood) led off the inning with a triple off of the right center field wall. Junior center fielder Jeremy Hazelbaker (Selma, Ind./Wapahani) reached base on a throwing error by the EMU catcher that allowed Elliott to score the first run of the inning. Sophomore third baseman Kolbrin Vitek (Bryan, Ohio/Bryan) put Ball State in the lead as he crushed his team-leading 11th home run of the season over the left center field wall.
Eastern Michigan came right back with three runs of its own in the bottom half of the fifth to re-take the lead at 6-4. After a one out walk, the Eagles put together back-to-back singles to tie the game at four apiece. Zack Leonard broke the tie with a two-run double to left center field before Piatt was able to get out of the inning and strand a runner at third base.
Sophomore shortstop T.J. Baumet (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) worked a bases loaded walk to score Dygert and pull BSU within 6-5. EMU reliever Kevin Wammes was able to come in and record the third out of the inning as Elliott flew out to center field.
The Cardinals threatened in the top of the ninth inning as Hazelbaker led off with a bunt single. Senior second baseman Nate Fields (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Hazelbaker into scoring position. After Vitek reached on an infield single that put runners on first and second, Wammes was able to record the final two outs of the game to earn his second save of the year.
Piatt (4-2) picked up the loss as he was charged with six runs on eight hits in 5.0 innings. Chaffins (3-3) earned the victory after going 7.2 innings and allowed five runs on six hits. He struck out a career-high 14 batters while throwing 127 pitches.
The Cardinals and Eagles will continue their three-game series Saturday afternoon. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Oestrike Stadium with right-hander Brenden Stines (Granger, Ind./Penn) set to take the mound for the Cardinals.
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