Central Michigan University Athletics
Dramatic Win Gives Chippewas Sweep Over Cardinals
4/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MOUNT PLEASANT -- Tyler Stovall’s two run double and a late mistake by Ball State allowed the Central Michigan baseball team to pick up a 5-4 win with a run in the bottom of the ninth at Theunissen Stadium on Sunday.
Stovall was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. He was 4-for-12 in the series with two doubles and three RBI.
CMU jumped out to a 4-1 lead after two innings thanks to RBI singles by Sean Hoorelbeke and Brendan Emmett in the first and Stovall’s two-run double in the second. Hoorelbeke's single extended his hitting streak to 13 games.
Ball State knotted the game up at four with one in the fifth and two in the seventh and threatened for more. In the fifth, Ball State had loaded the bases and appeared to tie the game on a hit-by-pitch, but the home plate umpire ruled that Cardinal batter Justin Rogers didn’t make an attempt to avoid the baseball, forcing him to stay at the plate. CMU starting pitcher Steve Teno recovered to fan Rogers to end the threat.
The Cardinals did tie the game in the seventh thanks to a pair of two-out hits. BSU threatened for more, but reliever Jesse Hernandez got cleanup batter Zach Dygert to ground out to retire the side.
BSU once again threatened against Hernandez in the ninth, putting runners on first and second with two out. A single to left appeared to give the Cardinals a chance to take the lead, but the runner was held at third instead to load the bases for Mark Isenberg, who grounded out to third.
In the Chippewas’ half of the ninth, Emmett singled with one out and Noah Lankford followed with a ball to deep second, reaching on the infield single. Matt Faiman dug in against BSU reliever Kyle Heyne, and grounded a ball up the middle that was booted by Jeremy Hazelbaker, allowing Emmett to cross the plate for the winning run.
Steve Teno took a no-decision, working 6.2 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and three walks. He struck out six. Hernandez (5-3) picked up the win in relief, going 2.1 innings without allowing a run. He gave up just one hit, but walked four and struck out three.
The win gives CMU (19-18, 8-6 MAC) the sweep of the three-game set and puts the Chippewas above .500 for the first time all season. Central has now won 12 of its last 15 games, and will face Valparaiso at Theunissen Stadium on Tuesday.
