The Eastern Michigan University baseball team split its first two games against Bowling Green this weekend.
EMU won its fourth MAC victory against the Falcons Friday, 13-11. But the Falcons answered back with a victory Saturday by defeating the Eagles, 13-5, giving EMU its first Mid-American Conference loss.
After Saturday’s loss, the Eagles are 17-10 and 4-1 in the MAC. The Eagles’ hitters have been doing well as of late.
“We were locked in and we have been swinging the bat well most of the season with a couple of guys having better days than others,” coach Jay Alexander said. “This time everyone had a good day.”
In the first game of a MAC cross-divisional series at Steller Field in Bowling Green, Ohio, the Eagles won it with their bats. EMU had a season-high 19 hits, scoring 13 runs to hold off the Falcons. But BGSU woke up in the ninth and rallied to score six runs on six hits off junior Kyle Peterson.
Junior catcher Matt Hill went 4-for-5 from behind the plate with six RBI. Hill’s pitcher, senior Rob Wendzicki is 2-2 with the victory, going 5 and 1/3 innings and allowing six hits and three earned runs. He struck out four batters.
The Eagles scored a run in the first two innings before they opened the game up in the top of the third by scoring four runs off five hits in the inning to put them up, 6-0. BGSU would have no answer until the bottom of the fourth. The Falcons scored two runs off a homer to right center to cut the Eagles’ lead to 6-2.
In the sixth, Wendzicki started losing control after he hit the second batter, walked the third and had the fourth batter single to right center to load the bases.
Alexander had seen enough and brought in senior pitcher Tim Combs.
Combs hit the first batter allowing the Falcons to cut the lead to 6-3, only to get the next two batters out to end the rally.
EMU would answer back in the top of the seventh to score four runs on three hits to increase its lead to 10-3. Hitt brought in two RBI while junior Wally Gerbus also brought in two RBI. The Falcons scored two runs in the bottom of the inning.
In the ninth, both teams swung the bat well. First, EMU’s Hitt came through again, doubling to right field for another two RBI. Battison had a sacrifice fly to score the third run of the inning adding to the lead, 13-5.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Falcons scored six runs to rally to within two, 13-11 before sophomore Joe Battistelli came in to save the game for the Eagles.
“It was very scary,” Alexander said. “They had the tying run at the plate.”
The second game had EMU failing to keep up with the bats of BGSU. The Eagles scored first, looking to continue the hot hitting. Wendzicki, who was the DH for the second game, singled to center field to score the Eagles’ first run of the game. BGSU would answer in the bottom of the inning to tie 1-1.
In the bottom of the second, BGSU added another run to put the Falcons up 2-1. In the bottom of the third, both teams had to stop play due to a rain delay that lasted 14 minutes.
In the top of the fourth, Eagles junior Ben Magsig homered to right center to bring in two runs, and put the Eagles up, 3-2. The Falcons had no answer until the bottom of the fifth inning, where they brought in five runs off of starting senior pitcher Corey Chaffins.
Chaffins fell to 4-2 on the season Saturday in a losing effort where he went five innings, giving up nine hits, five runs and walking four batters.
“I’m completely concerned about our pitching,” Alexander said. “But, if you would have told me we would be where we are at this point of the season without our No. 1 and No. 3 pitchers I would have called you crazy. With that said, we just need to do a better job of getting ahead in the count and executing our pitches and we will be fine.”
The Eagles would score two more runs in the top of the sixth, but the deficit was too much. BGSU had a two run sixth inning as well, and a four run seventh inning that put them up 13-5 for the win.
”We need to hit better with runners in scoring position and get ahead of their hitters,” Alexander said.
The Eagles faced the Falcons at 1 p.m. for the third game Sunday in Bowling Green.
“I expect (Steve) Weber to come out and compete as if he had something to prove because he does,” Alexander said of the pitcher. “We need a quality start from him. He has it in him.”