
Junior Cameron Brown delivers to the plate on Saturday in his four-hit shutout of Ball State at Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium.
Photo by: Allissa Rusco
Brown Superb In Shutout Of Ball State
4/6/2019 7:41:00 PM | Baseball
Chippewas break through late in winning 9th straight game
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Cameron Brown and Grant Frazer combined for the shutout and Central Michigan finally broke through with a five-run seventh inning on Saturday as the Chippewas downed Ball State, 5-0, in a Mid-American Conference baseball game at Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium.
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The Chippewas won their ninth-consecutive game in improving to 23-7, 7-1 MAC. It was their first shutout of 2019 as they remain tied for first place in the league with Miami (Ohio), which posted a 3-2 win over Toledo on Saturday.
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The Cardinals, 19-11, 4-2, managed just four hits off Brown and were blanked for the second time this season.
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"We had a lot of guys on base, but struggled to get that one big hit to drive them in," CMU coach Jordan Bischel said. "We stayed the course and pulled through with a big seventh inning."
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The Chippewas will go for the series sweep on Sunday (noon). Junior left-hander Tyler Hankins is scheduled to start for CMU against Chayce McDermott.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
The Chippewas knocked on the door throughout the game, collecting six hits and walking four times through six innings against Ball State starter John Baker.
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Kyle Nicolas relieved Baker to start the seventh, and the Chippewas, who had stranded nine baserunners to that point, capitalized.
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CMU took advantage of five walks and two hits – an RBI double by Zavier Warren and a two-run single by David Cole – in scoring all five of their runs in the frame. Two Chippewa runs were forced in on bases-loaded walks.
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Warren and Cole finished with two hits apiece.
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DAZZLING PITCHING
Brown, a junior right-hander, silenced the Cardinals over 7 2/3 innings, striking out a career-high seven. His only two walks came in the eighth inning, and, after issuing those free passes, he got the second out of the inning on a foul popup before turning the ball over to Frazer, who struck out Ross Messina, a .328 hitter, to end the threat. Frazer set down the Cardinals in order in the ninth.
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"(Brown) tends to hit a bit of a wall (when he pitches)," Bischel said. "Today he hit that wall and fought through it. I thought the last out he got in the eighth with two guys on really showed how much he's developing as a pitcher. He did a great job finishing his outing."
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Brown, a Pontiac, Ill. native, has allowed just six hits and one earned run while striking out 11 in 14 2/3 innings in his last two starts combined.
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The Chippewas won their ninth-consecutive game in improving to 23-7, 7-1 MAC. It was their first shutout of 2019 as they remain tied for first place in the league with Miami (Ohio), which posted a 3-2 win over Toledo on Saturday.
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The Cardinals, 19-11, 4-2, managed just four hits off Brown and were blanked for the second time this season.
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"We had a lot of guys on base, but struggled to get that one big hit to drive them in," CMU coach Jordan Bischel said. "We stayed the course and pulled through with a big seventh inning."
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The Chippewas will go for the series sweep on Sunday (noon). Junior left-hander Tyler Hankins is scheduled to start for CMU against Chayce McDermott.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
The Chippewas knocked on the door throughout the game, collecting six hits and walking four times through six innings against Ball State starter John Baker.
Â
Kyle Nicolas relieved Baker to start the seventh, and the Chippewas, who had stranded nine baserunners to that point, capitalized.
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CMU took advantage of five walks and two hits – an RBI double by Zavier Warren and a two-run single by David Cole – in scoring all five of their runs in the frame. Two Chippewa runs were forced in on bases-loaded walks.
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Warren and Cole finished with two hits apiece.
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DAZZLING PITCHING
Brown, a junior right-hander, silenced the Cardinals over 7 2/3 innings, striking out a career-high seven. His only two walks came in the eighth inning, and, after issuing those free passes, he got the second out of the inning on a foul popup before turning the ball over to Frazer, who struck out Ross Messina, a .328 hitter, to end the threat. Frazer set down the Cardinals in order in the ninth.
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"(Brown) tends to hit a bit of a wall (when he pitches)," Bischel said. "Today he hit that wall and fought through it. I thought the last out he got in the eighth with two guys on really showed how much he's developing as a pitcher. He did a great job finishing his outing."
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Brown, a Pontiac, Ill. native, has allowed just six hits and one earned run while striking out 11 in 14 2/3 innings in his last two starts combined.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Brown, Cameron (6-0)
L: NICOLAS, Kyle (0-2)
Batting:
SH: POWELL, Noah 1

Batting:
2B: Warren, Zavier 1
RBI: Warren, Zavier 1 ; Rollin, Chase 1 ; Kratt, Evan 1 ; Cole, David 2
SH: Gilles, Zach 1 ; Rollin, Chase 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Heeke, Zach 1 ; Warren, Zavier 1 ; Lockwood-Powell, Griffin 1 ; Sullivan, Jason 1 ; Rollin, Chase 1
SB: Gilles, Zach 1
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