Baseball Drops Series Opener to Akron, 7-4

Friday, May 3

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

3 p.m.

Central Michigan University

15-30, 6-16

Akron

12-33, 7-15

Akron

Central Michigan

CMU coach Jake Sabol (right) congratulates Ely Stuart as Stuart heads for home after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning on Friday on Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium.

Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw

5/3/2024 6:16:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score Photo Gallery

Stuart homers, Loikits collects 4 hits to lead Chippewas' 10-hit attack

By: Andy Sneddon

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Akron got a pair of home runs from Austin Lafferty in handing Central Michigan a 7-4 loss on Friday in the opener of a three-game Mid-American Conference baseball series on Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium.

The Chippewas and Zips play the second game of their series on Saturday (1 p.m.) and then close the series on Sunday (noon).

Akron outhit the Chippewas, 11-10, and scored five unanswered runs after CMU built a 4-2 lead through three innings.

Ely Stuart hit a two-run homer, freshman Drew Loikits had four hits including a double, and Nick Dardas added three hits to lead the Chippewas at the plate.

It was Stuart's team-leading sixth homer of the season and it came during CMU's three-run third inning, which included a run-scoring double from Marquis Jackson.

Akron tied it in the fourth on Lafferty's two-run shot, and then the Zips went ahead in the fifth on a Max Bowman sacrifice fly.

Akron added a run in the seventh on a passed ball and another in the ninth on a sacrifice fly.

Six of the Chippewas' 10 hits came in the first three innings and their only legitimate threat after the third came in the eighth when they put runners on the corners with one out but failed to produce a run.

Ben Vitas (2-5) allowed five runs on eight hits over six innings in taking the loss. The senior right-hander struck out a career-high eight and walked just one.

Bryce Hellgeth, Jared Hanson and Jack Bach each pitched an inning in relief.