Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Bowling Green*
Chippewas Open MAC with 12-2 Victory
4/2/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 2, 2004
MOUNT PLEASANT - Senior T.J. Johnson made sure Central Michigan University's baseball team off to a good start in Mid-American Conference action here Friday afternoon.
The 6-4 left-hander went nine innings in hurling the Chippewas to a 12-2 win over Bowling Green State University at Theunissen Stadium.CMU is now 11-12 for the season and 1-0 in the MAC while BGSU falls to 11-5 overall and 2-2 in league play.
Johnson, named co-MAC West "Pitcher of the Week" last week after defeating Notre Dame by a 4-1 margin, scattered five hits and did not allow an earned run. He walked three and struck out a career-high eight.
The Chippewas gave him plenty of support with 15 hits, eight of them for extra bases.
BG scored first with an unearned run in the fourth frame but the Chippewas rallied for two in the bottom of the same inning to cop a 2-1 lead. Jim Geldhof was safe on an error to open the inning while Bryan Mitzel banged out his second straight hit to send him to third. David Latour Jr. then cleared the bases with a double to the fence in left center.
CMU exploded for five runs in the fifth to knock BGSU starter Tyler Saneholtz out of the game. Chase Welker was hit by a pitch to open the frame and Jeremy Crum followed with a walk. Eric Cannon doubled in one run to knock out Saneholtz. Jim Geldhof plated another run with an infield single off reliever Neil Schmitz . Mitzel knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly and Latour completed the scoring with a solo homer to right.
The Chippewas added five more in the eighth on seven hits, five of them extra-base hits. Geldhof, Kurtis Wells and Mitzel had RBI doubles followed by an RBI triple by Adam Lipski and a run-scoring single by J.T. Jones.
Mitzel had three hits and drove in two runs while Latour had two hits and plated three men. Geldhof knocked in two with two hits and Wells two with one safety.
The two teams play here on Saturday in a single, nine-inning game at 1 p.m.
