Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas Top Eastern Kentucky, 4-2
3/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Four unanswered runs and timely strikeouts by Eric Lawrence helped the Central Michigan baseball team post a 4-2 victory over Eastern Kentucky at the IMG Sports Academy on Saturday.
Lawrence, making his first start of the season, allowed two runs in eight innings. He scattered six hits while walking two and striking out nine.
The Chippewas fell behind 2-0 when EKU put up single runs in the third and fourth innings. CMU cut the lead in half in the fifth when James Teas homered leading off the inning.
CMU took the lead in the seventh on a rally aided by defensive miscues by EKU. Jeff Nowaczyk doubled to lead off the frame and moved up to third on a sacrifice bunt by Teas. Dale Cornstubble drove in Nowaczyk on a ground ball that skipped away from third baseman Jayson Langfels. Jeff Helps was hit by a pitch putting two aboard. After a strikeout, Tyler Stovall and Billy Anderson put together back-to-back RBI singles to put the Chippewas up, 4-2.
Lawrence worked out of trouble in the eighth after a leadoff single and a walk put two on with no outs. A sacrifice bunt would put the tying runs in scoring position, but Lawrence fanned the next two batters to retire the threat.
Jesse Hernandez would work a scoreless ninth for his first save of the season.
With the win, CMU (3-8) posted back-to-back victories for the first time this season, and will now face Vermont in the team's Florida trip finale. Central will face Vermont at the IMG Sports Academy on Sunday at 10 a.m.
