Central Michigan University Athletics
Sunday, March 5
San Mateo, Calif.
5 p.m.
Central Michigan University
5-5
12
at
6
Saint Mary's (California)
3-8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Chippewas
0
5
1
1
0
2
2
1
0
12
12
1
Saint Mary's
3
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
6
8
2
Garrett Navarra homered and earned the victory on the mound in the nightcap on Sunday as CMU split a twin bill with Saint Mary's (California).
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
Bats Come Alive in Nightcap as Baseball Earns a Split in California
3/5/2023 9:34:00 PM | Baseball
SAN MATEO, Calif. – Garrett Navarra and Robby Morgan IV both homered to lead a 12-hit attack on Sunday as the Central Michigan baseball team topped Saint Mary's (California), 12-6, to earn a split of a nonconference doubleheader.
The Chippewas (5-5) are scheduled to play at San Jose State (4-4) on Monday (4:05 p.m. ET) and then face Saint Mary's again on Wednesday, March 8 (5 p.m. ET).
CMU is scheduled to open a four-game series at Sacramento State on Thursday, March 9.
The Chippewas managed just four hits in falling to Saint Mary's, 6-0, in Sunday's opener.
"We were definitely, for whatever reason, a little bit sluggish the first game and there isn't really any excuse for that, but give credit to Saint Mary's, their pitcher threw very, very well," CMU coach Jordan Bischel said.
"We just have to do a better job, when we're challenged offensively, of being more competitive and fighting a little bit better," he added. "We just have had a couple of games where, when it gets rolling in the wrong direction, we don't do something to turn it.
"That's just part of the learning process. Thankfully we were able to do that in game two."
Navarra finished with three hits and three RBI, and Morgan had two hits including a double and drove in four runs in Sunday's nightcap.
Trailing 3-0, the Chippewas scored five runs in the top of the second inning to take the lead for good.
Danny Wuestenfeld doubled to lead off the inning and Morgan followed with a homer, his team-leading fourth of the season.
"Robby and Danny came out in that second inning, hit a couple of balls hard to get us going," Bischel said. "They're difference makers in our order who just had not been producing at a high enough rate here for a little bit and they did a nice job of making the corrections they needed to make and getting the offense sparked."
After Morgan's homer, the Chippewas loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter, and then Marquis Jackson was hit by a pitch to force in a run and tie it, 3-3. Navarra followed with a two-run infield single to give CMU a 5-3 lead.
The Chippewas never relinquished the lead.
Navarra led off the sixth with his first homer of the season to extend CMU's lead to 8-6, and then Christian Mitchelle drilled a two-out RBI double to center field to make it 9-6.
The Chippewas tacked on two more runs in the seventh on Wuestenfeld's two-out, two-run single, and then Jacob Donahue delivered a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth.
Navarra (2-1) went 2 2/3 innings in relief of starter Ben Vitas for the victory. Ryan Palmblad went the final four innings for his first save of the season.
Navarra allowed one run on two hits, struck out three, and walked one. Palmblad was perfect over four innings, striking out four.
"The bullpen as a whole was really good," Bischel said. "Ryan Insco did a nice job in the first game and then Garrett gave us a huge lift. The schedule got all messed up so we didn't start him this week, but he really pitched well in relief and obviously gave us a lift with the bat as well and then Palmblad was really outstanding. One of his better outings. Did a great job."
Saint Mary's pitchers Derik Eaquinto (2-0) and Connor Linchey combined to record 11 strikeouts and walk just one in the opener.
Adam Mrakitsch (1-1) started and took the loss for CMU. The sophomore left-hander allowed five runs on six hits, walked three and struck out two over 5 2/3 innings. Insco struck out two over 1 1/3 innings.
The Gaels scored three runs off Mrakitsch in the fourth on a sacrifice fly and a two-run homer. They added two in the fifth and then got a solo homer in the eighth off Brennan Morgan.
The Chippewas (5-5) are scheduled to play at San Jose State (4-4) on Monday (4:05 p.m. ET) and then face Saint Mary's again on Wednesday, March 8 (5 p.m. ET).
CMU is scheduled to open a four-game series at Sacramento State on Thursday, March 9.
The Chippewas managed just four hits in falling to Saint Mary's, 6-0, in Sunday's opener.
"We were definitely, for whatever reason, a little bit sluggish the first game and there isn't really any excuse for that, but give credit to Saint Mary's, their pitcher threw very, very well," CMU coach Jordan Bischel said.
"We just have to do a better job, when we're challenged offensively, of being more competitive and fighting a little bit better," he added. "We just have had a couple of games where, when it gets rolling in the wrong direction, we don't do something to turn it.
"That's just part of the learning process. Thankfully we were able to do that in game two."
Navarra finished with three hits and three RBI, and Morgan had two hits including a double and drove in four runs in Sunday's nightcap.
Trailing 3-0, the Chippewas scored five runs in the top of the second inning to take the lead for good.
Danny Wuestenfeld doubled to lead off the inning and Morgan followed with a homer, his team-leading fourth of the season.
"Robby and Danny came out in that second inning, hit a couple of balls hard to get us going," Bischel said. "They're difference makers in our order who just had not been producing at a high enough rate here for a little bit and they did a nice job of making the corrections they needed to make and getting the offense sparked."
After Morgan's homer, the Chippewas loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter, and then Marquis Jackson was hit by a pitch to force in a run and tie it, 3-3. Navarra followed with a two-run infield single to give CMU a 5-3 lead.
The Chippewas never relinquished the lead.
Navarra led off the sixth with his first homer of the season to extend CMU's lead to 8-6, and then Christian Mitchelle drilled a two-out RBI double to center field to make it 9-6.
The Chippewas tacked on two more runs in the seventh on Wuestenfeld's two-out, two-run single, and then Jacob Donahue delivered a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth.
Navarra (2-1) went 2 2/3 innings in relief of starter Ben Vitas for the victory. Ryan Palmblad went the final four innings for his first save of the season.
Navarra allowed one run on two hits, struck out three, and walked one. Palmblad was perfect over four innings, striking out four.
"The bullpen as a whole was really good," Bischel said. "Ryan Insco did a nice job in the first game and then Garrett gave us a huge lift. The schedule got all messed up so we didn't start him this week, but he really pitched well in relief and obviously gave us a lift with the bat as well and then Palmblad was really outstanding. One of his better outings. Did a great job."
Saint Mary's pitchers Derik Eaquinto (2-0) and Connor Linchey combined to record 11 strikeouts and walk just one in the opener.
Adam Mrakitsch (1-1) started and took the loss for CMU. The sophomore left-hander allowed five runs on six hits, walked three and struck out two over 5 2/3 innings. Insco struck out two over 1 1/3 innings.
The Gaels scored three runs off Mrakitsch in the fourth on a sacrifice fly and a two-run homer. They added two in the fifth and then got a solo homer in the eighth off Brennan Morgan.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Navarra, Garrett (0-0)
L: WILTSE, Ryan (0-2)
S: Palmblad, Ryan (1)
Batting:
2B: Wuestenfeld, Danny 1 ; Morgan IV, Robby 1 ; Mitchelle, Christian 2
HR: Navarra, Garrett 1 ; Morgan IV, Robby 1
RBI: Jackson, Marquis 1 ; Navarra, Garrett 3 ; Wuestenfeld, Danny 2 ; Morgan IV, Robby 4 ; Mitchelle, Christian 1 ; Donahue, Jacob 1 ; Prout, Cole 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jackson, Marquis 1 ; Navarra, Garrett 2 ; Wuestenfeld, Danny 1 ; Morgan IV, Robby 2 ; Mitchelle, Christian 2 ; Stuart, Ely 1 ; Verburg, Spencer 1 ; Donahue, Jacob 1 ; Prout, Cole 1
SB: Morgan IV, Robby 1 ; Mitchelle, Christian 1
HBP: Jackson, Marquis 1 ; Navarra, Garrett 1 ; Stuart, Ely 1
Batting:
2B: NAPIER, Gavin 1
HR: SCHMIDT, Coleman 1 ; NAGER, Seth 1
RBI: SCHMIDT, Coleman 2 ; MASHORE, Dalton 1 ; NAGER, Seth 1
SF: SCHMIDT, Coleman 1
Base Running:
RUNS: METTAM, Jared 1 ; NAPIER, Gavin 1 ; ALMANZA, Christian 1 ; RALSTON, Bill 1 ; SCHMIDT, Coleman 1 ; NAGER, Seth 1
HBP: MCDONALD, Blake 1
PO: RALSTON, Bill 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
3
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
4
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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LHP
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LHP
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