Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Oakland
Chippewa Baseball Pounds Out 18-3 Win at Oakland
4/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 26, 2006
ROCHESTER, Mich. - Troy Moratti's second five-hit game in the past seven days paced a relentless offensive attack in Central Michigan University's 18-3 nonconference baseball win at Oakland University on Tuesday.
Moratti, who was 5-for-6 with a walk, double and home run, led an onslaught that featured 19 hits and saw the Chippewas score at least three runs in four different innings. Not to be out-done, eight different CMU hurlers kept Oakland hitters off-balance to the tune of three runs, only two of which were earned, on five hits.
The Chippewas (25-17) put the game away early, scoring 11 times over the first three innings. Moratti set the tone for the day with a solo homer to right-center field with one out in the first inning.
Scott Szpyrka doubled to lead off the second, then scored on Eric Cannon's double two outs later. Four straight Chippewas reached after there were two outs in the second, the final of which was Ben Humphrey, who drilled a three-run homer to cap the six-run inning. The home run was Humphrey's 11th of the season, tying him with Bryan Mitzel for the team lead, and seventh in the past eight games. He has now homered in three straight contests.
Cannon popped a two-run homer and the Chippewas added a pair of unearned runs to stretch their lead to 11-0 after three innings.
Moratti led off the fifth with a single and scored on Bryan Mitzel's single two batters later to make it 12-0. Oakland (11-28) dented the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth when Chad Winkler, who had doubled, scored from second when Andrew Stafford reached on an error.
The first five CMU hitters drew walks to open the sixth, forcing in a pair of runs. Mitzel added an RBI single later in the inning.
The Grizzlies scored twice in the seventh and CMU tallied three runs in the ninth to cap the scoring. Noah Lankford doubled in a pair of runs in the ninth for the Chippewas, then scored on a Mark Lundquist double. Lundquist, a relief pitcher who did not have a collegiate at-bat prior to Wednesday's game, was 2-for-2 off the bench against the Grizzlies.
Moratti's five-hit performance came exactly one week after he was 5-for-5 against Michigan State. He has hit safely in 11 of his past 12 games, recording two or more hits in seven of those outings, and boosted his batting average to .331 for the year. The senior also scored three runs and drove in three against Oakland.
Cannon finished with three hits (two doubles and a home run) and also drove in three runs and scored three.
Dan Taylor retired six consecutive Oakland hitters in his second start of the year and improved to 2-0. Kevin Hale lasted just 1-1/3 innings for the Grizzlies, surrendering three runs on three hits, and fell to 0-6.
CMU returns to Theunissen Stadium on Friday, hosting Toledo in the first of a three-game weekend Mid-American Conference series. The series marks the opening of a seven-game homestand and a stretch that sees CMU play 11 of its final 14 regular season games at home. The Chippewas enter the series with a one-game lead in the MAC West Division.
First pitch of Friday's opener is set for 3 p.m. All three games this weekend can be heard live on WMMI 830 AM.
