Central Michigan University
Stetson
CMU Hangs on for 6-5 Baseball Win
2/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
DeLAND, Fla. - Tyler Huntey and Nick Regnier drove in two runs apiece and closer Tim Black danced out of trouble in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday as the Central Michigan baseball team held on to beat Stetson, 6-5, in a non-conference baseball game at the Hatters' Melching Field.
The win lifted CMU to 4-1. The teams will play a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. on Saturday. They close the four-game series Sunday at noon. Stetson is 2-3.
CMU sophomore left-hander Nick Deeg (2-0) turned in his second straight quality start, allowing one run on six hits while striking out six and walking one over six innings for the victory.
"I thought he put together another nice outing," CMU coach Steve Jaksa of Deeg, who lowered his earned run average to 0.75 and has struck out nine while walking just two in 12 innings this season. "Your Friday guy against their Friday guy and you need a guy who can keep you in that game and he did that. They scratched out one run on him in the first, but other than that he was equal to the task."
Black earned his second save, working out of a ninth-inning jam after the Hatters had pushed across three runs to draw within 6-5.
Pat MacKenzie, Huntey, Logan Regnier, Zach McKinstry and Ryan Heeke had two hits apiece for CMU, which outhit the Hatters, 13-12. Logan Regnier and Heeke each doubled. Logan Regnier has seven hits on the season, five of them for extra bases.
Huntey's two-out RBI single in the fourth tied the game 1-1, then the Chippewas seized a 4-1 lead with a three runs in the fifth, scoring all three of their runs after two were out on a Heeke single and a two-run single by Nick Regnier.
"We put together some really nice at-bats in the inning," Jaksa said. "Ryan Heeke came through with a big two-strike, two-out knock and then Nick came through with another two-strike, two-out knock. We got into their bullpen and we were able to be effective against their bullpen."
The Chippewas made it 5-1 in the sixth when Cody Leichman scored on a double-play groundout. CMU got another run in the seventh on a Huntey RBI single.
The Hatters scored a run in the eighth off reliever Sean Renzi to draw to 6-2, but Renzi limited the damage by getting a strikeout and a groundout, leaving the bases loaded.
In the ninth, Renzi walked the leadoff man then surrendered a single and was replaced by Black, who allowed a single to load the bases.
Vance Vizcaino cleared the bases with a triple to the gap in left-center, drawing the Hatters to 6-5. The Chippewas got the first out of the inning on a ground ball to third baseman Alex Borglin, who trapped Vizcaino in a rundown between third and home. Black then got a fly ball and struck out Kevin Fagan looking to end the game.
"He's been very effective at it and he did it again today for us," Jaksa said of Black. "I was very pleased. I didn't see us panic. I liked how we handled it.
"It was good to get a W. It's a Friday win on the road and Friday wins on the road are big especially when it's a quality opponent. Very pleased with the result and pleased with the process of how we got there."
