Central Michigan University
Toledo
Deeg Superb In 1-0 Chippewa Win
4/23/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Pitching and defense.
Central Michigan got both on Saturday in downing Toledo, 1-0, in a Mid-American Conference baseball game at Theunissen Stadium.
The win lifted CMU to 10-29, 5-6 MAC, and, coming on the heels of Friday's 14-2 win over the Rockets (8-31-1, 3-8), it gave the Chippewas their first series win of the season
The Chippewas will try for the series sweep on Sunday (1:05 p.m.) at Theunissen.
Nick Deeg pitched a gem in giving the Chippewas their first complete game and first shutout of the year. The junior left-hander allowed six hits, walked two and struck out five.
The Chippewas did not commit an error behind him, and Daniel Robinson made two outstanding catches - the first sliding, the second diving - in right field in the ninth to keep the Rockets at bay.
"That's a team win," CMU coach Steve Jaksa said. "Robbie making those two catches in right field, the second one better than the first, with a runner on. That's baseball at its best.
"If you're here watching a college baseball game you got your moneys worth for sure. That was a really, really good ball game. Nick did his job and we played really good defense behind him.
"Across the board, Nick did a fine job. What more can you say? When you can ride the horse all the way through the game like that and get a 1-0 win, makes it a pretty good day."
The Chippewas scored the game's only run in the first inning. Alex Borglin led off with a single, went to second on passed ball and took third on a fly out. He scored on Robinson's infield single.
Deeg did the rest, throwing 113 pitches, 77 for strikes, in outdueling southpaw Ross Achter, who struck out four, walked one and surrendered eight hits over 6 2/3 innings.
"My stuff before the game, I didn't really feel good going into it," said Deeg, who allowed six runs (none earned) in his last start. "But I'm glad I could pound the strike zone, get them to make some contact and get it to my defense.
"I trust (my defense). They're out there, they know what they're doing. I know they're going to make some plays."
Deeg appeared to pick up steam as the game progressed. He struck out the side in the eighth, then got Deion Tansel, the Rockets' No. 3 hitter, to line out to a sliding Robinson in right to open the ninth.
After a single by Dalton Bollinger, Robinson made the defensive play of the day, diving to nab a line drive in the right-center field gap off the bat of John Martillotta for the second out.
A walk put runners at first and second - the only time in the game that Rockets put two on -- and Deeg got pinch hitter Corey Tipton to fly out to end the game.
"It's a big win today," Jaksa said. "We're not even quite halfway through the conference season. Now we enjoy this until (Sunday) morning and we've got to set our sights on something a little bit higher, keep clawing our way back to the upper echelon of the conference."
