Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Missouri State
Chippewas Put The Squeeze On Missouri State
3/24/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Colton Bradley dove across the plate on Robert Greenman's suicide squeeze bunt in the bottom of the ninth inning on Friday as the Central Michigan baseball team took a dramatic 2-1 victory from Missouri State on opening day at Theunissen Stadium.
The Chippewas (9-13) bounced back from a 12-1 loss in the opener of the doubleheader. The teams are scheduled to play the series finale on Sunday (1:05 p.m.) at Theunissen.
"We've lost quite a few heartbreakers, we've lost six one-run games, a couple in extra innings and we think we're getting over that hurdle," CMU coach Steve Jaksa said. "To come back and get that one, at home, it's a good character win, it's a good team win, it's a good Chippewa win.
"I'm just really, really proud of the effort. You've got to play with that kind of intensity and that kind of want and will every game."
CMU freshman left-hander Tyler Hankins went 8 1/3 solid innings in his first Theunissen Stadium appearance. He left with one out in the ninth after surrendering a triple to Jeremy Eierman.
Bradley, a junior right-hander, relieved Hankins and induced a groundball to first baseman Evan Kratt, who fired home to cut down Eirman trying to score from third. Bradley then got the final out, with runners at first and second, on a groundball.
Pinch hitter David Cole singled up the middle on a no-ball, two-strike pitch with one out in the bottom of the ninth, and moved to second and then third on wild pitches.
"David Cole showed a little moxie there," Jaksa said. "He got a heck of a hit and read two balls in the dirt."
Bradley pinch ran for Cole when it appeared Cole was injured diving into third base.
On the next pitch, Greenman laid down the suicide squeeze which was fielded by pitcher Jake Fromson. Fromson flipped the ball too high to the catcher, and Bradley dove safely across the plate, touching off a Chippewa celebration. Bradley (3-0) not only scored the winning run, but he also picked up the victory.
"The ball was up high enough and Robert did his job and Colton got a great jump, back to his position-playing days," Jaksa said. "We played hard, we played with intensity, we played to win. That was a hell of an effort we made out there, and we never stopped competing."
The finish overshadowed a classic pitcher's duel between Hankins and Missouri State starter Dylan Coleman. Coleman allowed one run on four hits, struck out seven, and walked four over 6 1/3 innings.
Fromson (2-2) took the loss, allowing a run on three hits with one strikeout in two innings of work.
Hankins allowed one run on nine hits, struck out eight and walked only one.
"That was a solid, solid performance against a team that's a really good ball club," Jaksa said of Hankins, who has allowed five earned runs in his last 24 2/3 innings.
"As the game started moving on I did feel more confident in my ability, and I kept locating my pitches and hitting spots and my teammates were making plays behind me," Hankins said. "That obviously helped me out a lot today today."
The Chippewas seized a 1-0 lead in the fifth when Kratt singled, took second on a bunt by Nick Stokowski, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a Zach Heeke single.
Missouri State (15-7) tied it in the sixth when Jake Burger doubled and scored on an Eirman single.
The Chippewas collected seven hits, including two by Heeke and a double by Dazon Cole.
Missouri State pounded out 18 hits off four Chippewa pitchers in the opener.
Dazon Cole (1-4) started for CMU and took the loss. He allowed five runs on six hits, walked four and struck out three. Cameron Brown, Braxton Markle and Jack Collins pitched in relief for CMU, which committed three errors.
Just six of Missouri State's 12 runs were earned.
Jordan Knutson (4-1) allowed five hits, struck out three, and walked three over seven innings for the victory.
Burger, Aaron Meyer and Eierman had three hits apiece to lead the Bears.
Daniel Jipping had two hits to lead CMU's six-hit attack.
