Wednesday, May 24
Kent, Ohio
6 p.m.
Central Michigan University
33-22
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Ball State
34-21
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Ball State
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Central Michigan
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Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography
Baseball Comeback Falls Short Against Ball State 7-6
5/24/2023 9:56:00 PM | Baseball
No. 2 seed Central Michigan will play No. 4 seed Western Michigan on Thursday at 12:30 p.m.; Jacob Donahue led the Chippewas with three hits, two runs, and two RBI, while Christian Mitchelle finished with three hits.
KENT, Ohio—Ball State snapped a 5-5 tie with two runs in the top of the eighth inning and held off a Chippewa rally in the ninth inning to register a 7-5 win over Central Michigan Wednesday evening in the Mid-American Conference Baseball Tournament First Round at Kent State's Schoonover Stadium. With the loss, No. 2 seed Central Michigan will play No. 4 seed Western Michigan in tomorrow's 12:30 p.m. game. Western Michigan dropped a 6-4 decision to host and No. 1 seed Kent State in Wednesday's early game. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
With the score tied at 5-5, Ball State's Decker Scheffler reached base on a two-out single, Adam Tellier followed with an RBI double to center field and Hunter Dobbins drove Tellier home on a single to center field.
Central Michigan threatened to win the game in the bottom of the ninth as the Chippewas put runners at second and third base respectively as Jacob Donahue and Christian Mitchelle reached base on back-to-back singles. Ball State pitcher Ryan Brown came on in relief of Sam Klein and notched a strikeout for the second out, but Brennan Morgan forced a Ball State error with a hard shot to third base and Donahue scored, cutting the deficit to 7-6. With runners at second and third, Brown got a strikeout to end the game.
Ball State's Klein earned the victory on the mound after throwing 4 1/3 innings and allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts. Brown registered the save. CMU's Ryan Palmblad took the loss after striking out two batters and allowing three hits and two runs in 2 2/3 innings pitched. Central Michigan starter Adam Mkrakitsch allowed five runs (four earned) and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Tellier led Ball State at the plate with two hits, two runs, a three-run home run, and four RBI, Scheffler finished with two hits and two RBI, while Dobbins and Conant both registered two hits apiece.
Central Michigan was led by Donahue, who finished with three hits, two runs, and two RBI, while Mitchelle added three hits.
Ball State took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a 3-run home run to left field by Adam Tellier. Tellier drove in Ryan Peltier and D. Scheffler.
Central Michigan battled back with two runs in the bottom of the third inning when it took advantage of three hits and a Ball State error. With two outs, Donahue reached base on a single up the middle, Mitchelle followed with a single to left center field, and Donahue scored on a throwing error. With Mitchelle on third base, Garrett Navarra walked and Danny Wuestenfeld's single to shortstop drove Mitchelle home.
The Cardinals maintained their lead and went up 5-2 with a two-run fourth inning. Blake Bevis led off with a single, Nick Gregory reached base on a fielder's choice and advanced to second base on Jiustin Conant's single. With two outs, Scheffler drove home Gregory and Conant on a double to left center field.
But the Chippewas responded with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Nick Dardas led off with a single to left field, Jake Brill followed with a single and CMU had runners at first and second. Both advanced to second and third respectively on a ground out. With two outs, Donahue sent a shot to left field that scored both runners and pulled the Chippewas to within 5-4.
CMU tied the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the fifth when Navarra sent a 3-1 pitch over right field wall for a leadoff home run.
With the score tied at 5-5, Ball State's Decker Scheffler reached base on a two-out single, Adam Tellier followed with an RBI double to center field and Hunter Dobbins drove Tellier home on a single to center field.
Central Michigan threatened to win the game in the bottom of the ninth as the Chippewas put runners at second and third base respectively as Jacob Donahue and Christian Mitchelle reached base on back-to-back singles. Ball State pitcher Ryan Brown came on in relief of Sam Klein and notched a strikeout for the second out, but Brennan Morgan forced a Ball State error with a hard shot to third base and Donahue scored, cutting the deficit to 7-6. With runners at second and third, Brown got a strikeout to end the game.
Ball State's Klein earned the victory on the mound after throwing 4 1/3 innings and allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts. Brown registered the save. CMU's Ryan Palmblad took the loss after striking out two batters and allowing three hits and two runs in 2 2/3 innings pitched. Central Michigan starter Adam Mkrakitsch allowed five runs (four earned) and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Tellier led Ball State at the plate with two hits, two runs, a three-run home run, and four RBI, Scheffler finished with two hits and two RBI, while Dobbins and Conant both registered two hits apiece.
Central Michigan was led by Donahue, who finished with three hits, two runs, and two RBI, while Mitchelle added three hits.
Ball State took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a 3-run home run to left field by Adam Tellier. Tellier drove in Ryan Peltier and D. Scheffler.
Central Michigan battled back with two runs in the bottom of the third inning when it took advantage of three hits and a Ball State error. With two outs, Donahue reached base on a single up the middle, Mitchelle followed with a single to left center field, and Donahue scored on a throwing error. With Mitchelle on third base, Garrett Navarra walked and Danny Wuestenfeld's single to shortstop drove Mitchelle home.
The Cardinals maintained their lead and went up 5-2 with a two-run fourth inning. Blake Bevis led off with a single, Nick Gregory reached base on a fielder's choice and advanced to second base on Jiustin Conant's single. With two outs, Scheffler drove home Gregory and Conant on a double to left center field.
But the Chippewas responded with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Nick Dardas led off with a single to left field, Jake Brill followed with a single and CMU had runners at first and second. Both advanced to second and third respectively on a ground out. With two outs, Donahue sent a shot to left field that scored both runners and pulled the Chippewas to within 5-4.
CMU tied the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the fifth when Navarra sent a 3-1 pitch over right field wall for a leadoff home run.
—CMU—
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sam Klein (7-2)
L: Palmblad, Ryan (1-6)
S: Ryan Brown (1)
Batting:
2B: D. Scheffler 1 ; Adam Tellier 1
3B: Nick Gregory 1
HR: Adam Tellier 1
RBI: D. Scheffler 2 ; Adam Tellier 4 ; H. Dobbins 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ryan Peltier 1 ; D. Scheffler 2 ; Adam Tellier 2 ; Nick Gregory 1 ; J. Conant 1
HBP: Adam Tellier 1 ; Blake Bevis 1
Batting:
HR: Navarra, Garrett 1
RBI: Donahue, Jacob 2 ; Navarra, Garrett 1 ; Wuestenfeld, Danny 1 ; Morgan IV, Robby 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Donahue, Jacob 2 ; Mitchelle, Christian 1 ; Navarra, Garrett 1 ; Dardas, Nick 1 ; Brill, Jake 1
SB: Donahue, Jacob 2 ; Morgan IV, Robby 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
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C
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RHP/INF
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LHP
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