Central Michigan University
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Kansas
Chippewas a Big Hit in Kansas
3/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Brent Schriber, CMUChippewas.com
LAWRENCE, Kan. - The Central Michigan baseball team collected a season-high 14 hits Tuesday in posting an 8-2 victory over Kansas in the Jayhawks' Hoglund Ballpark.
"Today was a day that you could show what you can do if you grind out every at-bat," CMU coach Steve Jaksa said. "We ran the bases well, we stole some bags, we executed some offensive schemes that we wanted to do, and we put pressure on them."
CMU built a 5-0 lead through four innings, getting an RBI double from Zack Fields and an RBI groundout from Alex Borglin in the third; in the fourth, the Chippewas picked up a run on a throwing error and a two-run single by Pat MacKenzie.
CMU starter Adam Aldred (1-0), a junior left-hander, struck out two and walked three over 5 1/3 innings. He gave up six hits for two runs, one of which was earned. It was Aldred's first win of the season.
"I feel today was Adam's best performance yet," Jaksa said. "He was good when he needed to be good, and we made a couple nice plays behind him."
Freshman Sean Martens threw 2 1/3 innings of hitless ball in relief of Aldred. Jimmy McNamara worked one-third of an inning and Tim Black set the Jayhawks down in order in the ninth in a non-save situation.
The Chippewas provided Martens with three insurance runs in the top of the ninth on RBI singles by Fields, Logan Regnier and Cody Leichman.
Eight of the nine CMU starters had a hit in the game. Zach McKinstry finished with three hits, MacKenzie had two, and Tyler Huntey doubled.
The Chippewas will travel next to Indiana to participate in the Indiana State Invitational. Rutgers and Canisius join the Chippewas and host Indiana State in the field.
Jordan Grosjean will be start for the Chippewas on Thursday against Indiana State.
"Our focus is to win every game and start with the first one," Jaksa said. "If we win all four, then we will have done our job. But in order to do that, we have to be ready to go on Thursday."
Nick Deeg will start for CMU on Friday against Rutgers. It will be the first time CMU faces a Big Ten opponent this season.
CMU will face Canisius Saturday at 3 p.m., and Rutgers again on Sunday at noon.
