Central Michigan University
NIU (DH)
Two Gems, Two Wins
3/23/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
Thade Hultzsch, CMUChippewas.com
DeKALB Ill. - Pat Leatherman was good in the opener. Michael Brettell was even better in the nightcap.
And the Central Michigan baseball team is off to a good start in the Mid-American Conference and has extended its win streak to five games.
Leatherman combined with two relievers to blank Northern Illinois, 6-0, on Friday in the opening game of a MAC doubleheader, and then Brettell tossed his first career complete game as the Chippweas took the nightcap, 8-1, at NIU's Ralph McKinzie Field.
The Chippewas (7-15-1) and Huskies (5-16) are scheduled to play the third and final game of the series on Sunday. The start time is to be announced.
Game 1
Leatherman (1-2) earned his first win of the season. He allowed four hits, walked two and struck out eight in six innings. Jack Collins and Cameron Brown pitched in relief. Collins and Brown combined to allow one hit, walk one and strike out two.
The Chippewas broke through in the fourth inning on Jason Sullivan's two-out RBI single, and then padded their lead with three runs in the sixth. CMU used a hit batsman, an error - one of four committed by the Huskies in the game -- and a walk to load the bases, and then Zach Heeke delivered an RBI single. The Chippewas added two more runs on a passed ball.
Zavion Warren singled in a run in the seventh and Sullivan brought in a run with a bunt in the ninth.
CMU finished with nine hits, two each by Jacob Crum and Heeke.
Tanner Foster (1-2) took the loss.
Game 2
Brettell, a junior right-hander, allowed six hits, walked three and struck out six.
Griffin Lockwood-Powell got the scoring going early for CMU with a two-run double in the first inning. In the sixth inning, Sullivan tripled in a run and then scored on an error to up CMU's lead to 4-0. The Chippewas broke the game open with four runs in the ninth, highlighted by a Crum two-run triple.
CMU out-hit the Huskies, 12-6. Crum and Daniel Robinson finished with three hits apiece to lead the Chippewas, while Sullivan finished with two.
Hunter Bross accounted for NIU's only run of the day with an inside-the-park homer in the sixth inning.
Donovin Sims (1-2) took the loss.
