The University of Akron Athletics
Baseball Drops Doubleheader to Central Michigan
April 09 | Baseball
AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron baseball team dropped a pair of one-run games in doubleheader action with Central Michigan on Saturday afternoon at Lee R. Jackson Baseball Field. CMU took game one despite an excellent start from Andrew Brown, 3-2, and held off the Zips, 8-7, in game two. Akron falls to 6-22 and 0-8 in Mid-American Conference play, while Central Michigan moves to 15-17 and 4-4 in the MAC.
The two clubs will wrap up their weekend series on Sunday. The series finale is set to begin at 1:00 p.m. at Lee R. Jackson Baseball Field.
Game One Recap
Despite a complete-game from starter Andrew Brown, Akron was downed 3-2 in Saturday's first game. Brown allowed just three hits and struck out six in his second complete game of the season, but Central Michigan took advantage of four Akron errors to score all three of their runs unearned.
Akron entered the bottom of the ninth down 3-1, but Brandon White's one-out double drove in Jason Corzine from first to cut the CMU lead to one. Chippewa closer Dietrich Enns would strand the tying run on second, however, retiring James Sheltrown and pinch hitter Jared Turocy to end the game.
Both clubs benefited from inning-opening errors to score a run in the top and bottom of the second. CMU's Matt Faiman began the second by reaching on an error by Sam Watkins at short. Faiman then scored on a double to left center by Jordan Dean to give CMU the 1-0 lead. Akron answered right back with an unearned run of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Samuel Trecaso reached on an error by Tyler Hall at third and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jason Corzine and a White ground out. Sheltrown then drove in Trecaso with a single to left.
CMU retook the lead in the top of the third with an error on Brown on a Robbie Harmon tapper down the third baseline putting CMU's leadoff batter on second with nobody out. Harmon would move to third on a bunt by Tyler Hall and then scored on a squeeze play when William Arnold laid a bunt down the third base line.
The Chippewas struck again in the sixth when Brendan Emmett's lead-off bunt was mishandled by Corzine and he moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Emmet then scored when Sam Watkins throw to first sailed into the Akron dugout on a Jordan Dean grounder.
Brown was dominant throughout, producing 1-2-3 innings in four frames. The junior righty has now pitched 19.0 innings in his last two starts after throwing 10.0 innings in last Friday's game at Toledo.
Game Two Recap
Akron was unable to overcome a six-run Central Michigan second in game two of the doubleheader and fell 8-7.
Brandon White recorded a pair of singles with four RBI and Drew Turocy doubled and belted an inside the park home run to lead Akron at the plate. Kurt Gamby and Tyler Begun each recorded a double and a single.
The Akron bullpen was stellar in the game, as Scott Foster, Kevin Kumazec, and Chris Bassitt, combined to pitch 7.1 innings and allow just one unearned run.
Akron took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the first, using a wild pitch by CMU starter Zach Cooper to spark a two-out rally. Cooper struck out Jason Corzine swinging on a pitch in the dirt with two outs and the bases loaded but catcher William Arnold was unable to keep the ball in front of him allowing Sam Watkins to score from third, and the other Akron runners to advance. Brandon White then drove in Turocy and Samuel Trecaso with a single to left.
The Chippewas wasted little time getting back in front, as CMU touched up Akron starter Alex Loftin for six runs in the top of the second. Loftin issued one of his two strikeouts to Sam Russell to begin the inning, but then walked Eric Wrozek and gave up a single to Robbie Harmon. CMU's Tyler Hall was then retired on a tapper back to the mound for the second out, before the Chippewas put together a triple, two doubles, a single, and a walk to push across six runs and chase Loftin from the game.
After CMU added another run in the top of the fourth, Akron begin to climb back into the game with Turocy's third homer of the season, an inside the park shot of the top of the wall in right field. The blast scored Begun who had doubled to lead-off the inning.
White second two-run single cut the Akron deficit to one in the seventh. Jared Turocy and Corzine scored on the play, after Turocy reached on a fielder's choice and Corzine doubled to left.
The Zips were unable to find the game-tying run however has Dietrich Enns allowed just one hit in the eighth and ninth to pick up his second save of the day and fourth of the season.
