Ball State University
12-27, 11-6
Eastern Michigan
27-15, 8-8
Late Inning Rally Dooms Baseball At Eastern Michigan
April 30, 2011 | Baseball
YPSILANTI, Mich. - The Ball State baseball team allowed Eastern Michigan to rally for four runs in the eighth inning as the Cardinals dropped a 5-4 contest to EMU Saturday afternoon at Oestrike Stadium. The loss drops the Cardinals to 8-8 in Mid-American Conference play while the Eagles improve to 11-6 in league action.
Ball State (12-27, 8-8 MAC) opened the scoring in the top of the first inning against EMU right-hander Corey Chaffins. Junior center fielder Cody Elliott (Florence, Ky./Beechwood) led off the game with a line drive single into center field. Elliott quickly stole second base and moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt. Junior Mitch Widau (Richmond, Ind./Richmond) drove in the game's first run as he grounded out to the shortstop for a 1-0 BSU lead.
The Cardinals added two runs in the top of the second inning to chase Chaffins from the game. Junior Tim Issler (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) led off the inning with a single and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Junior Kevin Franchetti (Highland, Ind./Andrean) drove in the Cardinals' second run of the afternoon as he ripped a single into center field.
After an infield single put two aboard, Elliott roped a run-scoring double down the left field line to make it a 3-0 game. Chaffins' afternoon was finished after hitting T.J. Baumet (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) with a pitch to load the bases. Steve Weber came on in relief and stranded the bases loaded as he notched back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.
Eastern Michigan (27-15, 11-6) scratched across a run in the bottom of the third inning against senior right-hander Morgan Coombs (West Terre Haute, Ind./Lincoln Trail). The Eagles put two aboard with one out before Daniel Russell grounded to second base. Widau appeared to tag the advancing runner but the ball was ruled out of his hand for an error to load the bases. Coombs got Ben Magsig to lift a sacrifice fly to right field to score a run before striking out Zack Leonard to end the threat.
Ball State ran its lead back to three runs with another run in the top of the sixth inning against Weber. Freshman Sean Godfrey (New Albany, Ind./New Albany) started things off as he doubled over the center fielder's head with two outs. Franchetti posted his second RBI of the afternoon as he dropped a double down the right field line for the 4-1 advantage.
Eastern Michigan rallied in the bottom of the eighth inning to score four runs, taking its first lead of the afternoon at 5-4. The Eagles led off the inning with three straight hits and a sacrifice fly to pull within one run at 4-3. Matt Hitt tied the game as he lined a one-out single into right field off of right-hander Michael Sandman (Newark, Ohio/Utica).
Eastern Michigan took the lead as Sam Ott dropped down a suicide squeeze bunt that went for a single allowing the go ahead run to score from third base at 5-4 against freshman left-hander Devin Wilburn (Selma, Ind./Wapahani). Wilburn ended the threat as he picked a runner off second base before getting a fly ball to end the inning.
Ball State threatened in the top of the ninth inning as EMU closer Kristian Calibuso walked Elliott to lead off the inning. The Eagles got a big play as Baumet flew out to deep center on a hit-and-run and Elliott was doubled off at second base. The Cardinals kept battling as Calibuso walked two more batters but ended the game on a strikeout to pick up his fourth save.
Coombs got a no decision despite working 7.0 strong innings as he allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits. Sandman (1-2) was charged with the loss as he allowed one run on one hit in a third of an inning. Weber (5-1) picked up the victory in relief as he tossed 6.2 innings of five-hit baseball as he only allowed one run to score while striking out seven.
The Cardinals and Eagles will wrap up the three-game series Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Oestrike Stadium with junior right-hander Cal Bowling (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown) set to take the hill for the Cardinals.
####
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: WEBER (5-3)
L: Sandman, Michael (1-2)
S: CALIBUSO (4)
Batting:
2B: Elliott, Cody 1 ; Godfrey, Sean 1 ; Franchetti, Kevin 1
RBI: Elliott, Cody 1 ; Widau, Mitch 1 ; Franchetti, Kevin 2
SH: Baumet, T.J. 1 ; Godfrey, Sean 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Elliott, Cody 1 ; Issler, Tim 1 ; Godfrey, Sean 1 ; Franchetti, Kevin 1
SB: Elliott, Cody 1
HBP: Baumet, T.J. 1 ; Godfrey, Sean 1
Batting:
2B: MAGSIG 1 ; LEONARD 1
RBI: MAGSIG 1 ; LEONARD 1 ; RUBINO 1 ; HITT 1 ; OTT 1
SF: MAGSIG 1 ; RUBINO 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BATTISTON 1 ; RUSSELL 1 ; MAGSIG 1 ; LEONARD 1 ; GERBUS 1
SB: RUSSELL 1
CS: OHRMAN 1
PO: LONGO 1
