Central Michigan University
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Western Michigan
Chippewas Battered, Bruised -- And Still Swinging
5/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
AVON, Ohio - Another elimination game, another win.
And another outstanding pitching performance.
Michael Brettell pitched into the seventh inning and allowed just one hit on Saturday as Central Michigan knocked off Western Michigan, 10-3, in a Mid-American Conference Tournament game at All-Pro Freight Stadium.
The Chippewas (24-36) and Broncos (20-32) are scheduled to play at approximately 5 p.m. Saturday. The winner advances to the championship game on Sunday against either Kent State or Eastern Michigan. The loser is out of the tournament.
Brettell, a freshman right-hander, made his first start since March 29 and was superb, striking out three and walking four over 6 1/3 innings, his longest collegiate outing. He threw 90 pitches, 55 of them for strikes.
"Michael Brettell was tremendous today," CMU coach Steve Jaksa said. "And he does it in the conference tournament, in an elimination game, on Saturday. That says a lot about the process that he has gone through to mature to this point to go out there and he throws a whale of a game."
Jordan Grosjean worked the final 2 2/3 innings for the Chippewas. He allowed two runs on three hits and walked one.
Brettell (3-1) drew the starting assignment when CMU's scheduled starter, Dazon Cole, came down with an illness overnight and was hospitalized.
That occurred shortly after the Chippewas lost senior outfielder Ryan Heeke during their 5-3 Friday night victory over Miami (Ohio). Heeke was struck in the face with a pitch and was hospitalized. He was at the field Saturday, watching the Chippewas' win.
"We can only control how we react to what's given to us," Jaksa said. "Nobody wants anybody hurt, nobody wants anybody not here, but you try to prepare a team so that if things happen you can have somebody else step in and the guys that we had step in this morning did a really nice job. We just keep playing.
"The guys have rallied, they've stayed together. We're not done yet. I just keep getting prouder as we go."
While Brettell stepped up on the mound, David Cole (center field) and Colton Bradley (designated hitter) delievered at the plate.
David Cole, a freshman who entered the game 1-for-20 on the season, had two hits, a sacrifice bunt, and scored two runs, while Bradley also had two hits and scored twice.
Bradley, a sophomore, had been used almost exclusively as a pitcher throughout much of the season and threw 2 2/3 innings in relief in Friday's victory over Miami.
"It's kind of like a track meet sometimes," Jaksa said. "You've got to pass the baton on to the next guy like a relay. It's just been next man in."
The Chippewas, who were seeded sixth in the tournament, collected 11 hits - all singles -- off three Western pitchers. The Broncos committed four errors and issued nine walks. Four of CMU's runs were unearned. Bronco starter Derek Schneider (0-8) worked one inning in taking the loss.
CMU built a 4-0 lead after three innings and were up 5-0 heading into the seventh.
Alex Borglin led the Chippewas with three hits, while Jason Sullivan had two, and Robert Greenman had a team-high three RBI.
Senior left-hander Jimmy McNamara will start for CMU in Saturday afternoon's game against the Broncos. McNamara (2-1) has been used exclusively in relief this season.
Western, which came into the tournament as the seventh seed, had yet to announce a starter.
