Baseball splits games against Northwestern in doubleheader
After nearly a month, the Central Michigan baseball team has finally won a game — its first since Feb. 18.
In Saturday’s doubleheader with Northwestern at Theunissen Stadium, the Chippewas split the pair of games, going over in the finale. In the first game, NW won 5-2. In the second, CMU won 7-3.
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Tyler Hankins earned the victory, who was 0-2 before his fifth appearance on the mound.
“I thought we played a heck of a second game,” CMU head coach Steve Jaksa said. “I was happy in the first game, thought we played hard, did a lot of good things, pitchers were good especially out of the bullpen.”
Game 1: Northwestern 5, Central Michigan 2
A throwing error by junior right-handed pitcher Dazon Cole in an attempt to first base was the catalyst in Northwestern’s opening run in the top of the first inning. Second baseman Alex Erro later scored off a sacrifice fly to left field by designated hitter Jack Cleays.
It became 3-0 the next inning when right fielder Casey O’Laughlin brought home catcher Jack Kelly, who reached second base due to CMU’s second throwing error.
Despite runners at first and third, no runs were scored as Warren was called out at second base once first baseman Zach Heeke hit a soft grounder to the shortstop in the third inning.
Cole’s outing ended early after three innings, allowing three hits and three runs. Junior left-hander Tyler Brown came in for relief, lasting 3 1/3 innings, recording two earned runs, four walks and two hits.
Wildcat shortstop Jack Dunn made it home from first baseman Willie Bourbon’s sacrifice fly to make it 5-0.
Freshman right-hander Logan Buczkowski ended the scoring spree with two strikeouts. CMU had a chance to comeback in the seventh, but left runners on base.
The Chippewas scored twice with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Both Warren and junior outfielder Daniel Robinson picked up an RBI.
Game 2: Central Michigan 7, Northwestern 3
The slight momentum CMU enjoyed during the final minutes of the first game carried over to the second, recording four hits and a run in the opening three innings.
“I think it’s just a mindset that you’re going to play the whole game,” Jaksa said. “It was important that we played the whole game in the first one, found a way to score a couple of runs. Again, you’re only a couple of swings away from being right back in it.”
Hankins pitched eight innings, striking out six batters and walking three.
The Chippewas endured a span of four innings without recording a hit, after Kratt and Lockwood-Powell had back-to-back singles in the bottom half of the third. They were the only two CMU players to get a hit before the seventh inning.
Junior outfielder Ty Rollin ripped a liner to left-center field for the standup double, eventually making it home on a throwing error and single up the middle by Cole for the go-ahead 2-1 lead.
Up Next
CMU will finally make up its single-game series with Lawrence Tech on March 19 at Theunissen Stadium after it was postponed twice last Wednesday and Thursday.
“It was a good win to get but we have to also get a little bit of momentum going, build a little confidence within the guys and keep going,” Jaksa said.
