Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Michigan
Chippewas Hold Off Michigan, 8-7
5/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - It wasn't a classic work of art.
But coach Steve Jaksa and his Central Michigan baseball team will certainly take it.
Jordan Grosjean kept Michigan at bay in the ninth inning Wednesday as the Chippewas held on to defeat the Wolverines, 8-7, in a non-league game at Theunissen Stadium.
It was the fifth win in the last six games for CMU (16-33), which snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Wolverines (34-13). CMU plays host to Miami (Ohio) in a three-game Mid-American Conference series beginning Friday (3:05 p.m.) at Theunissen.
"I feel really happy for the guys, they battled again today, did a heck of a job battling and we put ourselves in position to win the game," Jaksa said. "Take the W, move on to Miami. We'll enjoy this one tonight and then we'll get right back at it. Turn the page. That's baseball.
"We've got to get ready for a big MAC series and we've got to continue to play like this, we've got to play hungry."
Grosjean allowed a leadoff single and a two-out single in the ninth, but struck out the side to strand both runners as the Chippewas won their first game over Michigan since April 6, 2011.
Grosjean, a junior-right-hander, struck out four, walked one and allowed one run on four hits over two innings.
The Chippewas built an 8-0 lead through four innings before Michigan charged back, scoring four runs in the seventh and two in the eighth to make it a one-run game.
"He did a great job," Jaksa said of Grosjean. "That's a good team over there, they're going to keep coming at you. You don't win 30-some games and not be a good team. They've got an attitude about them and I think our guys are building that kind of mentality."
Ryan Heeke and Zach McKinstry had three hits apiece to lead CMU. Daniel Jipping and Dazon Cole each drove in two runs.
The top of CMU's order - Alex Borglin, Heeke, McKinstry and Jipping - combined to go 9-for-15. The Chippewas collected 12 hits.
Chippewa starter Dazon Cole did not allow a hit over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out two, but walked four and hit five batters.
"Didn't make an error today and we swung the bats really well," Jaksa said. "The Achilles was too many walks and Dazon hitting too many guys.
"Dazon sailed through three innings and why he hit a wall there in the fourth and fifth … I just told him, 'You've got to learn from this.' They weren't doing much with him. He figures that out and he can sail."
Cole left with the bases loaded and the Chippewas leading, 8-1. Colton Bradley (1-3) came on to strike out Michigan cleanup hitter Harrison Wenson to end the fifth and leave the bases loaded.
Cole worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth.
"You could tell the he was running on a little bit of fumes, he was struggling," Jaksa said. "You can't live on the edge of that cliff too many times.
"We wanted Dazon to get a couple more, but he didn't. That's OK. He'll learn from that and be better."
Bradley allowed four runs on four hits, walked one and struck out two over two innings for his first career victory.
Michigan starter William Tribucher (3-2) went 2 1/3 innings in taking the loss. He allowed five runs on five hits.
It was the Chippewas' third-consecutive win and their eighth in their last 12 games.
"We've talked about it that this is starting to be our time," Jaksa said. "I just feel like we've been playing better and you've got to get some W's to prove it, and we're finally putting them together. Now we've got to continue to do that."
