Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas Split Doubleheader With Bulls
3/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MOUNT PLEASANT -- A late rally in the second game of the doubleheader between the Central Michigan baseball team and Buffalo gave the Chippewas a split on the day and the series win at Theunissen Stadium on Saturday.
After falling 6-1 in the first game and trailing 3-0 entering CMU's eighth, the Chippewas' offense exploded for seven runs to register the come-from-behind 7-3 victory in the nightcap.
CMU will host Wayne State on Tuesday at Theunissen Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m.
Game One
The Chippewas' offense was relatively silent, as Buffalo's Pierre Miville-Deschenes tossed a complete-game four hitter in a 6-1 Bulls victory.
After a three-run third for UB, Central scored its lone run in the third when Billy Anderson was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on Matt Faiman's single to left. Casey Ingle singled to push Faiman to third and took second on the throw to put the tying runs in scoring position with two out, but a fly ball ended the threat.
The Bulls tacked on three more runs in the sixth to seal the victory. Rhett Goodmiller and Ricky Clark had the other two hits for CMU, as all four of the Maroon and Gold's knocks were singles.
Dan Taylor took the loss, giving up six runs (five earned) on 10 hits and two walks while striking out five in 5.2 innings of work. Devan Kline tossed the final 3.1 innings, giving up a hit and a pair of walks. He fanned three.
Game Two
Thanks to a seven-run eighth the Central Michigan baseball team rallied for a 7-3 victory and a split of the doubleheader with Buffalo.
CMU sent 11 men to the plate in the offensive explosion, the big hits a two-run single by Robbie Harman to tie the game at three and a two-run double by Nate Theunissen to push the edge to four. Theunissen doubled twice in the frame.
Central threatened in the first, loading the bases with no one out, but UB starter Zach Anderson got back-to-back strikeouts and a grounder to short to extinguish the threat.
Freshman Trent Howard took a no-hitter into the fifth, not giving up a hit until a two-out bloop single to left center, but followed it with a four-pitch walk and a first-pitch three-run jack to the no. 9 hitter Eric Flynn. The Bulls wouldn't put a runner as far as second base the rest of the contest.
In the eighth, Theunissen's first double led things off, Kipke followed with a walk and Russell doubled to right center to make it 3-1. Reid Rooney walked to load the bases, and Harman lined a single to left to knot the game at three. With runners on first and second, Ricky Clark squared to sacrifice before pulling the bat back and lining a pitch to right center, scoring pinch runner Andrew Thomas for a 4-3 Central lead.
An error off a grounder from Goodmiller allowed the fifth run in the inning to score, and with two out Theunissen stepped in and doubled down the right field line to drive in two for the final margin.
Howard took a no-decision, giving up three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out six. Matt Loomis faced one batter, giving up a hit, and Zach Cooper tossed two perfect innings to pick up the win in relief. Chris Kupillas tossed the ninth.
