Central Michigan University
Oakland
Big Inning Lifts Chippewas Past Oakland
4/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
ROCHESTER, Mich. - Central Michigan broke a 2-2 tie with a five-run eighth inning Wednesday in topping Oakland, 7-4, in a non-league baseball game at Oakland Baseball Field.
It was the third win in the last four starts for CMU (11-30), which goes to Eastern Michigan for a three-game Mid-American Conference series beginning on Friday (6 p.m.). Oakland is 17-15.
Dazon Cole had three hits and Alex Borglin and Daniel Robinson added two apiece for the Chippewas.
Daniel Jipping and Robinson had back-to-back singles and Jason Sullivan was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out in the eighth.
Ryan Heeke then fouled off three full-count pitches before beating out a chopper to shortstop to score Jipping and put the Chippewas in front, 3-2.
"We just put together quite a few good at-bats," CMU coach Steve Jaksa said of the inning, during which CMU collected six hits. "The big at-bat in that inning was Ryan Heeke. Great at-bat, really great at-bat."
Cole followed with an RBI single. After a pop out, Dylan Goodwin's blooper to center field fell in, bringing in two more runs to make it 6-2. Borglin added a run-scoring single.
"Like any game you need every run you can get," Jaksa said. "Really was happy with how we swung the bat in that situation."
The Chippewas outhit the Grizzlies, 12-11, marking the seventh time in the last 12 games that CMU has reached double digits in hits. Ten times in that stretch the Chippewas have collected at least eight hits.
Michael Brettell (1-1), the third CMU pitcher, earned his first career victory. He came on with the bases loaded and two out in the sixth and got Mike Brosseau, the Grizzlies' leading hitter who entered the game hitting .331, to fly out.
Brettell, a freshman right-hander, allowed one hit over 2 1/3 innings.
"Mike Brettell did a great job," Jaksa said. "Coming in with the bases loaded with the (No. 3) hitter and throws back-to-back sliders and gets him to fly out. Then he threw two more quality innings after that."
Cole started and allowed two runs on six hits, walked four and struck out two over 5 2/3 innings. Jimmy McNamara also pitched in relief, and Colton Bradley worked the ninth.
"(Cole) did exactly what we were hoping he could continue to do, get better on the mound, and he did," Jaksa said. "That's what you're hoping, to keep getting better. That's the farthest he's gone all year."
Logan Sparkman, the fifth of six Oakland pitchers, took the loss.
