Central Michigan University Athletics
Eagles Edge Chippewas, 7-6
5/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
YPSILANTI, Mich. -- A four-run first seemed to put the Central Michigan baseball team in control of the opener in a three-game series with Eastern Michigan at Oesterike Stadium on Thursday in a must-win contest for both Mid-American Conference teams.
But the Eagles stormed from behind to score seven straight runs and took a hard-fought 7-6 decision between the two in-state rivals.
The Chippewas got their four early runs on an RBI single by Scott Phillion, a two-run double by Matt Faiman and a solo homer by Nate Theunissen.
The Eagles answered with a single run in the first and three in the second to knot the contest at four, adding a run in the third and two in the fourth to take a 7-4 lead.
Dan Taylor (4-7) would toss his second complete game of the season and put up zeros the rest of the way, throwing 136 pitches. He gave up seven hits and two walks while fanning nine.
The Maroon and Gold got within one, scoring twice in the sixth. Reid Rooney reached on an error, moved to second on a balk and to third on a wild pitch. Robbie Harman knocked him in with a single and moved to second on a Billy Anderson base hit.
Both runners moved up on a groundout by Tyler Kipke, and Harman would score on a groundout by Phillion. But with the tying run at third, the Chippewas couldn't find that clutch two-out hit.
Central would load the bases with one out in the seventh, but the Eagles cut down a runner at the plate for the second out and got a pop up to end the threat. The Chippewas would also put two aboard with one out in the eighth, but couldn't get the equalizer.
In the ninth, the Chippewas would stage one more rally. After the first two batters were retired, William Arnold singled through the right side and was lifted for pinch-runner Ricky Clark.
Clark stole second and pinch-hitter Casey Ingle drew a walk to keep the inning going, but Anderson was retired on a ground ball to end the contest. CMU stranded six runners in the final three innings.
Phillion and Faiman each drove in a pair and each had two hits. Dale Cornstubble, Kipke and Theunissen also had two hits apiece.
EMU (22-32, 12-13 MAC) and CMU (26-27, 11-14 MAC) entered the weekend tied with Akron for the final two spots in the MAC Tournament. The Zips dropped a 14-9 decision to Bowling Green, leaving them tied with the Chippewas for the final spot, one game behind the Eagles.
Central will look to even the series and get even with Eastern tomorrow, when the two teams return to the diamond for a 3:05 p.m. first pitch.
