Brown Superb In Shutout Of Ball State

Saturday, April 6

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

1 p.m.

Central Michigan University

23-7, 4-2

Ball State

19-11, 7-1

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Ball State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	1
Central Michigan	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0	X	5	9	0

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

4/6/2019 7:41:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Chippewas break through late in winning 9th straight game

By: Mitch Vosburg, CMUChippewas.com

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.

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.

The Cardinals, 19-11, 4-2, managed just four hits off Brown and were blanked for the second time this season.

"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."

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.

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.

Kyle Nicolas relieved Baker to start the seventh, and the Chippewas, who had stranded nine baserunners to that point, capitalized.

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.

Warren and Cole finished with two hits apiece.

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.

"(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."

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.