Central Michigan University Athletics
Baseball Sweeps Western Michigan
5/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 8, 2005
MOUNT PLEASANT - A strong outing by starting pitcher Jason Cairns led Central Michigan University baseball to a 3-1 victory over Western Michigan at home on Sunday afternoon and a sweep of the weekend series.
The Chippewas have now won nine straight Mid-American Conference games and stand at 12-6 in league play, 30-15 overall. WMU drops to 11-5 in the MAC, 21-18 overall.
CMU pounded out eight hits with one error while Western Michigan had six hits and a single error.
Cairns threw seven scoreless innings for CMU, striking out five while allowing just three hits and two walks. The senior right-hander evens his record to 5-5 on the year.
Nathan Pung replaced Cairns to begin the eighth inning and went one and 2/3 innings, giving up a single run, three hits and two walks. James Ricchio entered the game with runners at first and third and recorded the final out to earn his third save of the season.
WMU starter Charlie Christner went six full innings and gave up three runs, one earned, six hits, four walks, and struck out six. Derek Schlecker relieved Christner in the seventh and threw two scoreless while allowing two hits.
CMU's first run came in the second inning as Ryan Peel scored from second base on a Troy Moratti single to leftfield with two outs. Peel reached base on a fielder's choice and got to second after a single by Jeff LaFavors Jr.
The Chippewas added two more runs in the seventh. Catcher Brian Campbell led off the inning with a walk with Moratti laying down a bunt single in the next at-bat. Both Campbell and Moratti advanced a base on a wild pitch by Christner to give CMU runners at second and third with no outs. J.T. Jones was the next Chippewa to step to the plate and he hit a grounder to the third baseman, who committed a throwing error in his attempt to get Campbell out at home.
Campbell's run sent Christner to the showers as Western brought in Schlecker. After Moratti was caught trying to steal third, Jim Geldhof hit an infield single to give CMU runners at the corners. Schlecker got Brian Mitzel to pop out to second, but Kurtis Wells came through with two outs and plated Jones with a single to centerfield.
The Broncos scored their lone run of the game in the eight after loading the bases with no outs. R.C. Dickerson scored when Travis May grounded into a double play.
The junior third baseman Moratti finished the day 4-for-5 at the plate with an RBI. LaFavors also had a multiple hit game by going 2-for-4.
