Central Michigan University
Stetson
Chippewas Fall on Ninth-Inning Blooper
2/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Brent Schriber, CMUChippewas.com
DeLAND, Fla. - Sunday's college baseball game between Central Michigan and Stetson ended in controversial fashion as Kevin Fagan hit a bloop single down the left field line in the bottom of the ninth with 2 outs to bring in the winning run and give the Hatters a 6-5 win.
The Chippewas took the lead early in the game in the second inning when Alex Borglin got on base with a single to right field and later scored on a wild pitch.
CMU scored three more in the fifth as a result of three Stetson errors. Tyler Huntey started the inning with a walk. Cody Leichman reached on an error and Huntey advanced to second. Borglin reached base when he laid down a bunt and was safe on an error. Huntey scored on the play. Daniel Jipping's sacrifice fly scored Leichman. Logan Regnier then drove in a run with a single.
Stetson responded in the fifth as well as they put up five runs off CMU starter Pat Leatherman, who went five innings and gave up five earned runs on eight hits.
"I thought (Leatherman) pitched really well," CMU coach Steve Jaksa said. "The guy had a two-run homer, that ball was up, that put us down by a run. Up until then, I thought Pat threw very well, and then he just got a little bit tired. His changeup was better too."
The Chippewas tied it 5-5 in the seventh inning when Jipping doubled, took third on a Logan Regnier bunt, and scored on Zach McKinstry's single.
Jason Gamble pitched in relief for 3 2/3 innings and took the loss. Gamble (0-1) was taken out of the game in the bottom of the ninth with two outs after he allowed a double down the left field line to Colton Lightner.
"He pitched really well," Jaksa said. "I was very pleased with how he threw. His longest stint maybe ever. He did a nice job with that, and what he did to keep us in there."
Braxton Markle replaced Gamble with two outs in the ninth and a runner on second. Markle issued an intentional walk to set up a potential forceout, then Fagan's blooper down the left field line fell in, allowing Lightner to score the winning run.
"The ball was foul by about a foot, but the (umpire) called it fair," Jaksa said.
The Chippewas (5-3) go to San Marcos, Texas, next weekend for a four-game series with Texas State.
