Central Michigan University Athletics
Chippewas Roll Past Oakland
4/11/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Thade Hultzsch, CMUChippewas.com
ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Central Michigan baseball team exploded for 24 runs on 22 hits, both season-high totals, on Wednesday in rolling to a 24-9 nonconference victory over Oakland at the Grizzlies' Oakland Baseball Field.
The win moves CMU to 11-20-1. The Chippewas return to Mid-American Conference this weekend when they play host to Toledo at Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium. Oakland is 8-20.
CMU is 5-4 in MAC play. Toledo is 10-18, 5-4. The series is slated to begin Friday at 3:05 p.m. and continue on Saturday (2:05 p.m.) and conclude on Sunday (1:05 p.m.).
ON THE MOUND
Tyler Hankins (2-4) got the start for the Chippewas on a staff day. He went two innings and then handed it over to the bullpen. He struck out three and allowed two hits. Eight Chippewas pitched in relief. They combined to allow nine hits, strike out nine and walk seven.
Cole Gibson (0-2) started for Oakland and took the loss. He allowed six runs, two of them earned, on six hits and over three innings. The Grizzlies committed five errors. Seven of CMU's runs were unearned.
AT THE PLATE
Daniel Robinson matched his season high with four hits and drove in a season-high five runs to lead CMU at the plate. Chase Rollin and Zach Gilles had three hits apiece, Griffin Lockwood-Powell homered, and Zach Heeke, Blake Cleveland, Jacob Crum and Jason Sullivan added two hits each.
Lockwood-Powell's homer, a one-out solo shot to right center in the second inning, was his team-leading third of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Chippewas jumped on Oakland with a five-run first inning, during which the Grizzlies committed four errors.
CMU sent 17 men to the plate during a 10-run fourth to extend its lead to 16-0. Consecutive doubles by Gilles, Crum and Robinson highlighted the inning. Robinson delivered a three-run double in the sixth.
