Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
North Dakota State
Jipping Homers As Chippewas Win Second Straight
3/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Daniel Jipping homered for the second straight game and Central Michigan collected a season-high 14 hits Friday en route to an 11-4 victory over North Dakota State in the Snowbird Baseball Classic.
It was the second consecutive win for CMU (3-10), which plays Illinois State (5-8) on Saturday (noon) and concludes the Classic and its Spring Break trip to Florida on Sunday (10 a.m.) against Saint Joseph's (5-5). North Dakota State is 8-4.
"Those last two games are great, they're building blocks, and we're going to build every day," CMU coach Steve Jaksa said. "You've got to play tomorrow. You've got to build it with everybody working together, everybody getting in their role and doing everything they can to help us get a W.
"We have to stay hungry, stay committed. It's always a work in progress."
Junior left-hander Nick Deeg (1-3) allowed three runs on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings for the win.
The Chippewas managed just two hits through five innings off North Dakota State starter Zach Mayo, a junior left-hander.
In the sixth, they got a hit batsman, a single and a bunt single to load the bases for Daniel Robinson, who drilled a two-run single to right field to put CMU up, 2-1.
Jipping followed with his three-run homer and Colton Bradley later added a run-scoring single to make it 6-1.
"You see a (pitcher) X number of times you have to stay with the approach, and we were able to stay with our approach," Jaksa said. "That hit by Robbie was a big hit. Bases loaded, nobody out."
Jipping, a sophomore who drove in four runs on the day, also hit a three-run shot in the Chippewas' 8-3 win over Butler on Wednesday. Friday's round-tripper was his team-leading third of the season.
Ryan Heeke stroked a three-run double to highlight CMU's four-run eighth.
Also for the Chippewas, Zach McKinstry singled and doubled, Robinson and Alex Borglin finished with two hits apiece, and Jason Sullivan, Jarrod Watkins, and Dazon Cole each singled. Robinson finished with three RBI.
The Chippewas got a big defensive play from Sullivan, the second baseman, in the top of the sixth inning to keep their deficit at 1-0.
"They had second and third one out and Jason Sullivan made a great layout catch behind the first baseman," Jaksa said. "And then we strike out the next guy and we're out of the inning. You talk about defense, that was a great catch."
Deeg worked into the seventh, striking out eight and walking two.
"Nick threw really well," Jaksa said. "Maybe not his best command day, but he did compete, especially in the sixth inning. He really did a nice job for us."
Jimmy McNamara, Jordan Grosjean and Sean Renzi pitched in relief for CMU.
The Chippewas have a combined 24 hits and 19 runs in their last two games.
"We've had better plate discipline," Jaksa said. "Makes a big difference to do what you need to do to come through - stay with the plan, trust in what you're doing, have a good attitude.
"Everything is contagious, everything builds up. We got a plethora of two-out RBIs again. Those are always big."
