Central Michigan University
Kent State
Sunday Settlement: 1 Win, 1 Loss
3/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - It took two pitches for the Central Michigan baseball team to win a game.
It took two defensive miscues to lose one.
Kent State scored three unearned runs in the seventh inning Sunday in posting 5-2 victory over the Chippewas in the third and final game of a Mid-American Conference series at Theunissen Stadium.
The result came hours after Jordan Grosjean threw two pitches, the second of which went for a groundout, as the Chippewas claimed a 13-10 win to complete a suspended game that started on Saturday.
Kent State, which won Friday's opener, took two of three to claim league-opening series. The Chippewas are 5-19, 1-2 MAC. Kent State is 16-6, 2-1.
"We're still swimming upstream a little bit," CMU coach Steve Jaksa said. "I think our guys are resilient. I was disappointed in (Sunday's) outcome. I still think the guys believe they can win and I do think we're going to be a factor. That's my vision.
"But we're not there, we can't win with the way we were this weekend."
The Chippewas hit the road for their next four games, all non-leaguers. They go to Michigan (15-5) on Tuesday and to Missouri State (17-2) for a three-game series beginning Thursday. The Bears are ranked 23rd.
CMU opened play on Sunday by completing Saturday's game, which was suspended because of darkness with the Chippewas leading, 13-10, and Kent State batting with a runner at first base and two out in the top of the ninth.
On Grosjean's second pitch of the day, Dylan Rosa grounded out to third, giving the Chippewas the victory in a game that featured 22 walks, 23 runs, 22 hits and took nearly four hours to complete.
Sunday's game took on a much more efficient vibe. Kent State took advantage of two Chippewas errors in breaking a 2-2 tie with a three-run seventh.
Pete Schuler walked to lead off the inning, and Sam Hurt laid down a sacrifice bunt and was safe at first on a throwing error. Schuler and Hurt each moved up a base on a passed ball, and both scored on a one-out single by Luke Burch.
A throwing error allowed Burch to take second, and he stole third. Burch scored on Zach Beckner's safety squeeze.
Kent State starter Eli Krause (4-1) went seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He walked one and struck out three. Zach Willeman worked the final two innings for his seventh save.
Brady Williams (0-2) took the loss. He worked one inning in relief of starter Pat Leatherman. None of the three runs that Williams surrendered were earned.
Leatherman allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits while walking three and striking out one over 5 1/3 innings.
"I thought Pat pitched a heck of a game for us," Jaksa said. "We gift-wrapped them too many runs. That was disappointing and we didn't really have an answer offensively liked we did (Saturday)."
Grosjean went the final 2 2/3 innings. He struck out five and allowed just one hit. In Saturday's game, he pitched the final 2/3 of an inning.
"Jordan Grosjean came in and did a great job (Saturday) and finished it," Jaksa said. "Then he came in and threw two-plus innings (Sunday) and did a great job all the way through. We need to consistently get that kind of pitching."
Alex Borglin had two hits to lead CMU at the plate on Sunday.
The Chippewas played small-ball in scratching out their two runs. Borglin bunted his way on to open the fifth, then Ryan Heeke reached on an infield hit to move Borglan to second. Both moved up on a passed ball, and Borglan scored on Joe Houlihan's suicide squeeze.
The Chippewas got their second run when Jason Sullivan doubled to lead off the sixth. He took third on bunt and scored on Daniel Robinson's groundout.
Zach McKinstry, Borglin, Zack Fields and Robert Greenman collected two hits apiece in Saturday's game. Greenman drove in a career-high five runs, and Fields finished with two RBI.
The Chippewas used a six-run third inning in building an 8-2 lead, and added three more runs in the fourth to up their advantage to 11-3.
"We swung the bat very well (Saturday)," Jaksa said. "Our hitters put a lot of pressure on their starting guy (Andy Ravel). We got to him and got him out of the game after a short stint.
"(Sunday) we didn't swing the bat, but sometimes the pitcher has something to do with that. I don't think we were as crisp in our offensive approach. A couple guys who swung the bat well (Saturday) were a little bit long today. You can't be long in your swing. You've got to be able to be the same every day. Hard to do, but if you can do that, you can get to where you're pretty good."
Ravel (3-2) went 2 1/3 innings in taking the loss. He surrendered eight runs on six hits, walked three and struck out four.
Sean Renzi (2-2) picked up the victory in relief of Michael Brettell. Brettell went 3 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits. He walked five and struck out four.
Renzi went three innings, allowing four runs on two hits. He walked six and struck out six. Jimmy McNamara and Grosjean pitched in relief.
The Chippewa pitchers issued 12 walks, while Kent State hurlers issued 10 free passes.
"We walked a few too many guys from our standpoint, but we kept scoring runs which was really important," Jaksa said. "And I was really pleased with how we ran the bases."
The Chippewas return to MAC play April 8-10 with a three-game series at Northern Illinois.
"Even though we won a game (in this series), and we were right in that (Sunday) game, to be where I want us to be we've got to get better in a couple areas," Jaksa said. "I believe we're going to get there. But a couple of guys have got to buckle up their pants a little bit tighter and make a difference for us, like they have in the past.
"Moving forward we think we can be a factor we've just got to make sure we can pitch it better all the way through the weekend, not just in certain segments.
"I think there are parts of our bullpen that we've figured out, we've got to figure out a couple more parts. Our starting pitching overall has got to get better."
