Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Akron
CMU Rallies for Sweep of Akron
4/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 16, 2006
MOUNT PLEASANT - A six-run eighth inning and yet another lockdown performance by the bullpen carried Central Michigan University to a 9-5, come-from-behind win and a sweep of Akron in the team's weekend Mid-American Conference baseball series.
J.T. Jones was the hero for the second day in a row, as his two-run single with nobody out drove in Cody Allen and Tyler Stovall with what proved to be the winning runs. Jones, who has recorded at least two hits in each of the past four games, was 8-for-11 with three walks, a double, seven runs and five RBI against the Zips over the weekend. He also drove in the winning run with one out in the eighth inning of Saturday's 7-6 CMU victory.
Six of the first seven Chippewa hitters reached base in the six-run eighth. Ben Humphrey, who was 3-for-5 on Sunday and 7-for-13 in the series, put an exclamation point on the rally with a two-run homer to left that knifed through a stiff wind blowing in.
Kurt Lauscher started and went five innings for CMU (21-15 overall, 9-3 MAC), allowing three earned runs on seven hits. Three different relievers then combined to hold Akron to one unearned run on two hits in its final three turns at the plate.
The Chippewa bullpen has now held CMU's last eight opponents to three earned runs on 18 hits in 28-2/3 innings.
The Zips (7-24, 2-10) led throughout the contest, scoring twice in the first and once each in the fourth, fifth and eighth to take a 5-3 lead entering the bottom of the eighth. They squandered chances to build on the lead, however, including scoring just once after loading the bases with nobody out in the fourth and seeing a sacrifice fly turn into a double play in the fifth.
Mark Lundquist faced just three batters to earn the win in relief. He improves to 2-0 on the year. Jeremy Goldizen was touched for four runs on three hits in just 1/3 inning and fell to 0-2 for Akron.
Tyler Stovall had a career-high four hits in the win. He singled in the second, doubled in the fourth, bunted for a single in sixth and singled to center in the eighth. He also scored the tying run in the eighth.
Jones and Humphrey both had three hits for the Chippewas. The duo combined to score four runs and drive in five.
Scott Gunn, Charlie Lenhard and Chase Liggett all had two hits apiece for Akron.
CMU hosts Spring Arbor on Tuesday at 3 p.m., then plays its next five on the road. The Chippewas return home to host Toledo in a three-game MAC series on April 28. That series opens a stretch that sees CMU play 11 of its final 14 regular season games at home.
