Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Evansville
Gates, Groves Power Chippewa Baseball
3/8/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 8, 2002
DeLAND, Fla. - Central Michigan University's baseball team jumped out to an 8-2 lead and then held on for an 8-5 victory over the University of Evansville here Friday afternoon.
The Chippewas are now 6-3 for the season and 3-2 in the Stetson Invitational while the Purple Aces fall to 5-3 overall and 2-3 in tourney action.
Mike Gates slammed a three-run homer for CMU, his second of the trip, and drove in four runs to lead the 12-hit attack. Tim Groves had three hits and knocked in two runs while Tim Bullinger, Tommy Grubb and Travis Osborn all had two hits each.
Central scored on a sacrifice fly in the first off the bat of Gates and added an unearned run in the fourth for a 2-0 lead. UE tallied an unearned run in the fourth to cut the deficit to 2-1 but the Chippewas upped it to 5-1 on Gates' shot over the right field fence.
Evansville scored one in the fifth to make it 5-2 before the Chippewas wrapped up their scoring with three more in the sixth - two on a single by Groves.
The Purple Aces scored two unearned runs in the eighth off reliever Ryan Cremeans and another run in the ninth off David LeMieux to make it close.
Sophomore Jeff Opalewski had an interesting day on the mound as the CMU starter. He went six innings, allowed three hits and one earned run. He fanned 10 but walked eight to even his record at 1-1.
Central Michigan closes its spring trip on Saturday with a game against Penn State at 10 a.m. The Chippewas are scheduled to open the northern portion of its season at Oakland University on Saturday, March 16, at noon.
