Just Out Of Reach
5/24/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
AVON, Ohio - Central Michigan scored five runs in the top of the ninth inning, but the comeback fell just short on Thursday as the Chippewas fell to top-seeded Kent State, 8-7, in a Mid-American Conference Tournament game at Sprenger Stadium.
The Chippewas (27-29-1) will play Toledo at 10 a.m. on Friday in an elimination game. The winner plays Ball State at 2 p.m. Friday.
CMU, the No. 4 seed, was trying to win for the second time in as many days at the tournament in its final turn at bat. The Chippewas trailed 8-2 before scoring five runs on five hits to draw within a run. The Chippewas had the potential tying run at second base when David Cole and Dazon Cole struck out in back-to-back at-bats to end the game.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Golden Flashes (37-16) used a pair of three-run innings and a two-run sixth in building an 8-1 lead through six innings.
CMU got a run in the seventh on a Daniel Robinson RBI single.
In the ninth, the Chippewas sent nine men to the plate against four pitchers. The Golden Flashes finally called on their closer, Collin Romel, to get the final out. It was Romel's sixth save of the season.
AT THE PLATE
Robinson, Zach Heeke and Jason Sullivan finished with two hits apiece to lead CMU. Robinson drove in three runs, and Sullivan had a two-run double in the ninth.
The Chippewas stranded nine baserunners.
Pavin Parks had three hits including a double and a triple and drove in four runs to lead the Golden Flashes.
ON THE MOUND
Michael Brettell (6-7) started for the Chippewas and took the loss. He surrendered six runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two.
Zach Kohn and Cameron Miller both worked in relief. Miller did not allow a hit over the final 2 1/3 innings.
Joey Murray (9-1), who earlier this week repeated as the MAC Pitcher of the Year, surrendered two runs on three hits over 6 2/3 innings for the win.
CMU COACH Steve Jaksa
"We played really hard. We battled all the way to the end, which is what we ask them to do. You play nine innings and I thought we played hard for all of them. I don't have any complaints with how the guys battled and the effort that we gave.
"Sure, there's a play here or a play there, but you can say that about anything. In the final analysis, if you can play hard all the way through the game and you can give yourself a chance … Just one run short of tying it up in the last inning.
"If you keep a good attitude and your work hard up there at the plate and keep fighting we always feel we have a chance.
NEXT
The Chippewas will need a win on Friday to keep their season alive. The will play the Ball State-Miami loser. Those two teams were scheduled to meet on Thursday night.
Jaksa: "There's only one way to play, and you play hard all the way through. We give the ball to (Logan Buczkowski) and he's got to do a good job for us and we've got to show up ready to play. When you're facing elimination, you've just got to grind it. You can't feel sorry for yourself, you can't look past anybody, you've got to be ready to play on the day."
