Ball State University
#7 Eastern Michigan
Baseball Drops Wild Affair Against EMU In MAC Tournament
May 21, 2009 | Baseball
The loss drops the Cardinals into the losers' bracket and will face third-seeded Ohio in an elimination game Thursday at 9 a.m. while Eastern Michigan advances in the winners' bracket and will face sixth-seeded Toledo.
The two teams combined for 35 runs on 35 hits on the afternoon, including seven home runs. Junior left fielder Kory Benbow (Muncie, Ind./Cowan) highlighted the Cardinals' attack as he drove in four runs and tallied hits, including a three-run home run. Junior catcher Zach Dygert (Angola, Ind./Angola) added a team-high four hits, including a pair of doubles, as he scored three runs and drove in two. Dygert's doubles gave the Cardinals the Ball State single-season record for doubles as BSU has tallied a MAC-high 135 doubles.
Eastern Michigan started the game quickly against senior right-hander Brenden Stines (Granger, Ind./Penn) in the top of the first inning. The Eagles erupted for four runs on four hits in their first time at the plate, including a leadoff home run from Kyle Rhoad to take the early lead.
Eastern Michigan continued its strong start with four more runs in the top of the second inning to take an 8-0 lead. The Eagles took advantage of two Cardinals' errors as two out of the four runs were unearned in the inning.
After senior right-hander Adam Quinn (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) came on in relief and retired the side in the top of the third inning, the Cardinals finally showed up against EMU right-hander Corey Chaffins as they plated six runs to pull within two at 8-6. Junior center fielder Jeremy Hazelbaker (Selma, Ind./Wapahani) began things with a one out single and moved to third as senior second baseman Nate Fields (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) doubled down the left field line.
The Cardinals' inning went into overdrive as Benbow crushed a full count offering high over the trees in left center field for his eight home run of the season to narrow the gap to 8-5. Junior designated hitter Ryan Chenoweth (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead) followed with his fourth home run of the season over the center field wall as BSU hit back-to-back long balls to pull within 8-6.
Ball State continued to explode in the bottom of the fourth inning as it chased Chaffins from the game and took its first lead of the afternoon at 10-8. Hazelbaker once again started things off as he reached on a one out single and Fields put two aboard as he reached on an EMU fielding error. Vitek quickly made the Eagles pay for the error as he crushed his team-leading 13th home run of the season over the right center field wall to give Ball State a 9-8 lead and chased Chaffins from the game.
Dygert welcomed reliever Jordan Goldshmidt with a single and Nielsen walked to put two aboard. Chenoweth loaded the bases with his third hit of the afternoon as he reached on an infield single. Sophomore shortstop T.J. Baumet (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) drove in the Cardinals' 10th run of the afternoon as he worked a bases loaded walk to plate Dygert. Goldshmidt was able to limit the damage as he induced a ground ball to end the inning.
Eastern Michigan answered back in the top of the fifth inning in the see-saw affair as it plated five runs to take a 13-10 lead. The Eagles quickly loaded the bases against Quinn courtesy of an error and two walks. Senior left-hander Eric Van Matre (Selma, Ind./Purdue) came in and allowed a run-scoring ground ball before giving up a two-run double to Matt Skirving as BSU relinquished the lead. The Eagles added two more runs as Andrew Marshall hit his 18th home run of the season off of the scoreboard in left field.
The Cardinals chipped away at the deficit with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the fifth to pull within one at 13-12. Fields and Vitek welcomed EMU reliever Sean Hoffman as they drew back-to-back walks. With the runners off on the pitch, Dygert ripped a two-run double down the left field line to narrow the gap.
Ball State made its second comeback of the afternoon complete as it plated two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 14-13 lead. Freshman left fielder Cody Elliott (Florence, Ky./Beechwood) started things off with a two out stand-up triple off of the center field wall. Hazelbaker quickly gave the Cardinals the lead as he ripped a 1-2 pitch over the center field wall for his ninth home run of the season.
Eastern Michigan responded in the top of the eighth inning against right-hander Aaron Hammons (Greenfield, Ind./Greenfield Central) as it scored six runs to take a 19-14 lead. Zack Leonard hit a two-run home run to chase Hammons and give EMU the lead. The Eagles added four more runs in the inning to extend the lead back to five runs.
Ball State kept battling and added a single run in the bottom of the eighth inning as Benbow led off with a single and Chenoweth reached on an EMU error. Baumet drove in Benbow with a run-scoring single and after an out, Hazelbaker walked to load the bases. EMU reliever Kevin Wammes induced a bases loaded inning-ending double play from Fields to get out of the inning.
The Cardinals made one final push in the bottom of the ninth inning as Dygert ripped a one out double into the corner. Nielsen looked ready to drive him in but EMU first baseman Todd Graves robbed a single for the second out of the inning. Benbow followed with his third hit of the afternoon as he singled into left field to plate Dygert. Wammes was able to get the third out of the inning though on a ground ball to send the Cardinals into the losers' bracket.
The loss drops the Cardinals into the losers' bracket and will face third-seeded Ohio in an elimination game Thursday at 9 a.m. while Eastern Michigan advances in the winners' bracket and will face sixth-seeded Toledo.
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