Central Michigan University
Missouri State
Chippewas Drop Series Finale At Missouri State
4/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Austin Knight allowed just one hit through seven innings Saturday as Missouri State handed Central Michigan a 7-1 loss at the Bears' Hammons Field.
The win gave Missouri State (22-5) a sweep of the three-game series. The Chippewas (5-23) are scheduled to play host to in-state non-conference opponents Saginaw Valley State and Oakland on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, at Theunissen Stadium.
CMU returns to Mid-American Conference play with a three-game set at Northern Illinois next weekend.
The Chippewas struggled against Knight (2-0), a sophomore right-hander, who struck out five and did not walk a batter over seven innings. He left with a 3-0 lead. The Bears added four runs in the bottom of the seventh.
CMU got its lone run in the eighth off reliever Sam Perez. Two walks and a bunt single by Ryan Heeke loaded the bases, then Robert Greenman delivered an RBI single.
Zack Fields doubled and Alex Borglin singled for CMU.
Redshirt freshman Pat Leatherman (0-3) allowed three runs on five hits in taking the loss. He struck out three and walked three.
Leatherman worked into the sixth, allowing back-to-back singles to open the inning. He left with the Chippewas trailing, 1-0.
"I thought he threw very well, competed very well," CMU coach Steve Jaksa said. "We couldn't hold serve, so to speak, in the bullpen. I thought he had a really good outing.
"I'll take that every time for him, that kind of competitive performance. We respond well to that and I thought we played well behind him."
Jimmy McNamara, Jordan Grosjean and Brady Williams each worked in relief for the Chippewas.
The Bears (22-5) collected nine hits, two each by Hunter Steinmetz, Blake Graham and Matt Fultz.
Though the Chippewas lost all three games at Missouri State, they got solid performances from starters Sean Renzi, in the opener, and from Leatherman on Sunday, Jaksa said.
Nick Deeg struggled Friday, allowing eight runs over four innings.
"I think from a rotation standpoint we're getting really close to what it needs to be going forward," Jaksa said. "The performance Sean Renzi gave us, if he can give us that going forward - he's got to make it happen, and we played really well behind him. We felt he really competed well.
"Pat's been there and done a great job all year. Nick's a work in progress. I thought he was a little bit better and he really needs to take another step forward to get closer to where he needs to be.
"His tempo was better. There are a couple of little things we need to work on with him. But I think he's capable of doing it. He's got to rebound, he's got to compete his way thorugh it and take it head-on."
Sunday's loss was CMU's fifth straight and its 11th in its last 12 games. The Chippewas are 1-2 in Mid-American Conference play as they look back on a schedule that has been perhaps as ambitious as any in Jaksa's 13 years as the Chippewas' coach.
"We didn't dodge anybody," Jaksa said. "We took some bullets so to speak. We didn't deflect as many as we would have liked to and now we've got to figure out a way that any wounds we have are healed quickly.
"We would like to find another guy or two in the bullpen to give us a little more consistency there. We've got to get a little more productive and consistency from some parts in our lineup. We've got to have a few guys step in there and be more consistent with their approach."
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