Theunissen's walk-off home run sends CMU to MAC tournament semifinals
Nate Theunissen sent Central Michigan to the Mid-American Conference semifinals Friday with a walk-off two-run home run, beating Eastern Michigan 6-4.
It was the senior’s second home run in as many at-bats. Theunissen hit the second part of back-to-back home runs with two outs in the seventh to tie the game at four, as the Chippewas took the momentum from the Eagles and later took the game.
“It feels great (to hit back-to-back home runs),” Theunissen said. “I was getting frustrated but I cleared my head and they left up a change up and a fastball.”
Things looked bleak for CMU, who committed four errors in the game, including two in the sixth that gave EMU the lead.
But starting pitcher Dietrich Enns settled down his team as he kept the game within reach for his Chippewas.
“We had to play through our errors and that’s a credit to the guys for not getting down,” said head coach Steve Jaksa.
Enns ended up going eight and 1/3 innings, striking out six and walking five allowing four runs, only two earned, off six hits.
Senior closer Jon Weaver came in to finish the game and struck out the only two batters he faced, earning himself his second win in as many days.
“He’s (Enns) one of the reasons we had a chance to win the game,” Jaksa said. “We made some mistakes behind him and he just competed the whole way.”
The Chippewas hit eight home runs last season in the MAC tournament and until Friday they had not hit one in their first two games.
They hit four of them against EMU, as senior catcher William Arnold hit one and junior first baseman Jordan Adams hit another to go with Theunissen’s pair.
“We didn’t have a lot of good at-bats for about three or four or five innings and we got into a place where we put some good swings on it and didn’t quite,” Jaksa said.
With the win, CMU advances to the semifinals to play the No. 7 seed Miami tonight around 7:30 p.m. where it’ll be looking to force an elimination game Saturday.
