Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
Baseball Splits MAC-Opening Doubleheader At Kent State
3/11/2022 10:34:00 PM | Baseball
KENT, Ohio – Central Michigan scratched out enough runs and the bullpen held the fort on Friday as the Chippewa baseball team held off Kent State, 6-5, to earn a split in CMU's Mid-American Conference-opening doubleheader at the Golden Flashes' Schoonover Stadium.
Kent State took the seven-inning opener, 1-0.
CMU is 5-8, 1-1 MAC. Due to weather, the Chippewas and the Golden Flashes (5-6, 1-1) will not play Saturday's scheduled games. They are tentatively slated to play a twinbill on Sunday. A start time is to be determined.
Game 2
The Chippewas capitalized on a walk, a bunt single, a sacrifice fly, and a pair of Kent State errors in the fourth inning to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead. All three runs were unearned.
Sophomore Jakob Marsee homered in the eighth inning to extend CMU's lead to 6-3. It was the second home run of the season for Marsee, who also drove in a run with a first-inning groundout. He leads the Chippewas with a .380 batting average and 12 RBI.
"Jakob's been great for us," CMU coach Jordan Bischel said. "He works his butt off to prepare, he puts in the time, and that's why he's always had such big improvements each year.
"He was a good player last year and now he's turning into a great player. He's doing a tremendous job and it's because he's putting in a lot of time to prepare."
The Chippewa bullpen kept Kent State at bay in relief of starter Jordan Patty, who left after 1 2/3 innings.
Garrett Navarra (1-2), the second Chippewa pitcher, picked up the win. Jake Jones recorded his second save, working out of a ninth-inning jam after the Golden Flashes scored twice to cut it to 6-5.
"(Jones) has pitched really well this year," Bischel said. "Obviously they got a couple of base hits off of him, but we trust him in big spots and at the end of the day, he got the out he needed."
Ryan Palmblad and Ryan Insco also took a turn on the mound for CMU. The combination of Navarra, Palmblad, Insco and Jones struck out seven and walked just one.
The Chippewas, who were out-hit, 13-5, played error-free defense. Kent State stranded nine baserunners.
"We really haven't hit our stride yet," Bischel said. "We're not playing our best baseball. We're going to get better as the year goes, but it's good to see the guys, despite maybe not feeling great at the plate, find a way to grind it out and put six runs on the board to give us a chance to win.
"Good teams, when they're not feeling great, find a way to compete, and these guys did that in the second game."
Game 1
CMU's Andrew Taylor and Kent State's Richie Dell hooked up in a classic pitcher's duel in the opener.
The Golden Flashes scored the game's only run in the bottom of the seventh when Justin Miknis doubled with one out and scored on a Collin Mathews single.
Taylor (1-2), a sophomore right-hander who last season earned All-America honors, surrendered just three hits, walked two and struck out eight. Dell (2-0), a junior right-hander, allowed two hits, walked one and struck out eight.
"Andrew did a great job," Bischel said. "He threw great last week and again today. He made one mistake there in the seventh inning that I'm sure he wishes he could have back, but when you give up one run in seven innings, obviously that's a great outing and he did a tremendous job."
Marsee doubled and Justin Simpson singled for the Chippewas.
Kent State took the seven-inning opener, 1-0.
CMU is 5-8, 1-1 MAC. Due to weather, the Chippewas and the Golden Flashes (5-6, 1-1) will not play Saturday's scheduled games. They are tentatively slated to play a twinbill on Sunday. A start time is to be determined.
Game 2
The Chippewas capitalized on a walk, a bunt single, a sacrifice fly, and a pair of Kent State errors in the fourth inning to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead. All three runs were unearned.
Sophomore Jakob Marsee homered in the eighth inning to extend CMU's lead to 6-3. It was the second home run of the season for Marsee, who also drove in a run with a first-inning groundout. He leads the Chippewas with a .380 batting average and 12 RBI.
"Jakob's been great for us," CMU coach Jordan Bischel said. "He works his butt off to prepare, he puts in the time, and that's why he's always had such big improvements each year.
"He was a good player last year and now he's turning into a great player. He's doing a tremendous job and it's because he's putting in a lot of time to prepare."
The Chippewa bullpen kept Kent State at bay in relief of starter Jordan Patty, who left after 1 2/3 innings.
Garrett Navarra (1-2), the second Chippewa pitcher, picked up the win. Jake Jones recorded his second save, working out of a ninth-inning jam after the Golden Flashes scored twice to cut it to 6-5.
"(Jones) has pitched really well this year," Bischel said. "Obviously they got a couple of base hits off of him, but we trust him in big spots and at the end of the day, he got the out he needed."
Ryan Palmblad and Ryan Insco also took a turn on the mound for CMU. The combination of Navarra, Palmblad, Insco and Jones struck out seven and walked just one.
The Chippewas, who were out-hit, 13-5, played error-free defense. Kent State stranded nine baserunners.
"We really haven't hit our stride yet," Bischel said. "We're not playing our best baseball. We're going to get better as the year goes, but it's good to see the guys, despite maybe not feeling great at the plate, find a way to grind it out and put six runs on the board to give us a chance to win.
"Good teams, when they're not feeling great, find a way to compete, and these guys did that in the second game."
Game 1
CMU's Andrew Taylor and Kent State's Richie Dell hooked up in a classic pitcher's duel in the opener.
The Golden Flashes scored the game's only run in the bottom of the seventh when Justin Miknis doubled with one out and scored on a Collin Mathews single.
Taylor (1-2), a sophomore right-hander who last season earned All-America honors, surrendered just three hits, walked two and struck out eight. Dell (2-0), a junior right-hander, allowed two hits, walked one and struck out eight.
"Andrew did a great job," Bischel said. "He threw great last week and again today. He made one mistake there in the seventh inning that I'm sure he wishes he could have back, but when you give up one run in seven innings, obviously that's a great outing and he did a tremendous job."
Marsee doubled and Justin Simpson singled for the Chippewas.
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