Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
IPFW
Chippewas Post 7-4 Win Over IPFW
3/31/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 31, 2004
MOUNT PLEASANT - In its final tuneup before the start of the 2004 Mid-American Conference baseball season, Central Michigan University rallied for a 7-4 win over IPFW here Wednesday afternoon.
The Chippewas, now 10-12, open MAC play at home Friday against Bowling Green State University at 3 p.m.
CMU rode the outstanding relief pitching of junior right-hander Jason Cairns to the non-league win at Theunissen Stadium. He went four innings, allowed one run and struck out eight batters against no walks.
Senior David LeMieux went the final frame, walking one and striking out two without a walk to collect his fourth save of the season.
Freshman Mike Kirschenheiter started for the Chippewas and went the first four innings. He was touched for four hits and three runs while striking out four and walking none.
After IPFW scored a single run in the top of the first, the Chippewas plated a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the first to cop a 2-1 lead. Kurtis Wells blooped a single to left for one run and Bryan Mitzel drove in the second on an infield bouncer.
The Mastadons tied it in the second with a solo run and then took a 3-2 lead in the fourth with another run.
Wells came through with another RBI single in the fifth for CMU that scored Jim Geldhof and knotted the game at 3-3.
CMU took the lead in the bottom of the sixth when Jeff LaFavors Jr. opened with a single, was sacrificed to second by Brian Campbell and to third by Chase Welker. He then scored on an infield single by Eric Cannon.
The Chippewas added three more runs in the seventh to up the lead to 7-3. The first run scored on a balk while David Latour Jr. doubled in a second and third came home on an error.
IPFW closed the scoring with a solo run in the eighth off Cairns.
Wells led the Chippewa attack with two hits and two RBI while Eric Cannon, J.T. Jones and Bryan Mitzel added two safeties each.
