Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Lehigh
Baseball Tops Lehigh, 14-4
3/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 9, 2006
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Ben Humphrey was 3-for-5 with a triple and a homer and Bryan Mitzel hit his fourth home run in the past three games as Central Michigan University won its third straight, 14-4, over Lehigh.
Humphrey's three-hit game was his second in a row and third of the season. He tripled in the fourth, singled in the fifth and launched a three-run homer in the ninth. Humphrey also drew a bases-loaded walk in the second.
Mitzel, meanwhile, connected for his fourth homer in the last three games. He followed Humphrey's three-run blast with a solo shot in the ninth. In the last three games, Mitzel is 7-for-15 with four home runs and a double while driving in six runs and scoring five. He is now alone in sixth on CMU's career homers list with 29.
Ty Dunham put together his best performance of the young season in improving to 2-1 on the mound. He tossed seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out a season-high nine hitters.
CMU (5-6) jumped on the Mountain Hawks (5-5) early, scoring three times in the second inning, twice in the third and fourth and once in the fifth and sixth. The Chippewas led 9-0 before Lehigh scored twice in the bottom of the sixth.
The Chippewas scored their three second-inning runs without a hit. James Teas was hit by pitch to lead off the inning, and after the next two hitters were retired, five straight Chippewas drew walks to force in the three runs.
A Cody Allen single and J.T. Jones sacrifice fly scored Teas and Hoorelbeke in the third. In the fourth, Brian Campbell singled home Humphrey with two outs and Allen reached on an error that allowed Teas to score his third of four runs in the game.
CMU added single runs in the fifth and sixth, while Lehigh tallied a pair of runs in the sixth and eighth to cut the deficit to 9-4 heading to the ninth.
Jones reached on a fielder's choice and Moratti was hit by a pitch to set the table for Humphrey's one-out, three-run blast. Mitzel then stepped in and punched a solo shot to left. Brad Foutch would later single to bring in Teas with his fourth run of the game and CMU's fifth of the inning.
The back end of the Chippewa bullpen was solid in the victory, holding Lehigh scoreless on one hit and striking out three over the final two innings. CMU helped itself in the field as well, as it posted its first error-free game of the season.
The Chippewas are back on the field Friday night, meeting Northern Iowa in Bradenton at 7:30 p.m.
