
Chippewas Drop Series Opener At Kent State
4/12/2019 10:18:00 PM | Baseball
Warren, Crum homer in loss
Central Michigan is 24-9, 7-3 MAC. The Chippewas are in second place behind Miami (Ohio), which improved to 8-2 on Friday with a 12-4 win at Bowling Green. Kent State is 14-17, 4-4.
The teams are scheduled to conclude the series with a doubleheader on Saturday (1 p.m.).
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Golden Flashes did what no Central Michigan opponent has been able to do this season -- get to Chippewa starter Pat Leatherman.
Leatherman (5-1) allowed six runs on five hits with three walks and one strikeout over 2 2/3 innings in taking the loss, his first.
Kent State scored a run in each of the first two innings, and then got a three-run homer from Alex Ronnebaum during its four-run third.
The Golden Flashes led, 6-1, at that point and CMU never got closer than four runs the rest of the way.
Ronnebaum's homer spelled the end of the night for Leatherman, who had pitched at least five innings in each of his eight previous starts this season.
AT THE PLATE
The Chippewas managed just four hits, but two of them were home runs: A solo shot by Jacob Crum in the second inning and a two-run blast by Zavier Warren in the sixth. Crum finished with two hits.
It was Warren's sixth home run of the season and Crum's fifth.
ON THE MOUND
Grant Frazer, Garrett Navarra and Jack Collins pitched in relief of Leatherman.
Left-hander Connor Wollersheim (3-4) allowed four runs on three hits over six innings for the victory. Zach Schultz pitched the final three innings for his second save.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: WOLLERSHEIM, Connor (3-4)
L: Leatherman, Pat (5-1)
S: SCHULTZ, Zach (2)

Batting:
HR: Warren, Zavier 1 ; Crum, Jacob 1
RBI: Warren, Zavier 2 ; Crum, Jacob 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Heeke, Zach 1 ; Warren, Zavier 1 ; Gilles, Zach 1 ; Crum, Jacob 1
SB: Crum, Jacob 1
HBP: Heeke, Zach 1

Batting:
2B: RONNEBAUM, Alex 1
HR: TURNER, Michael 1 ; RONNEBAUM, Alex 2
RBI: CAREW, BEN 1 ; TOUCHETTE, Cam 1 ; TURNER, Michael 1 ; O'BRIEN, Kian 1 ; HOLLANDER, Josh 1 ; RONNEBAUM, Alex 5
SH: PARKS, Pavin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: CAREW, BEN 1 ; TOUCHETTE, Cam 1 ; TURNER, Michael 1 ; O'BRIEN, Kian 1 ; FERGUSON, Patrick 1 ; HOLLANDER, Josh 3 ; RONNEBAUM, Alex 2
SB: CAREW, BEN 1
CS: TOUCHETTE, Cam 1 ; PARKS, Pavin 1
HBP: KIRBY, Justin 2