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Ball State 14, Valparaiso 8
The Cardinals (16-9, 3-0 MAC) won their seventh game in a row in dominating fashion as they opened the contest with a 7-2 lead after three innings and never looked back. Noah Navarro was impressive as he went 2-4 with three RBIs, three runs scored, and a walk as the offense for the Cards generated 15 hits. Mike Pachmayer was dealing on the mound as he didn’t allow a hit in three innings of work and recorded three strikeouts. BSU hopes to keep their winning streak alive this weekend in a series with Kent State.
Eastern Michigan 11, Concordia (MI) 6
Despite a lackluster start to the season, the Eagles (5-19-1, 0-3 MAC) picked up their second consecutive win after registering 14 hits on the day offensively. Zachary Owings had the biggest hit for the Eagles in the second inning with a grand slam to put the team up 6-2. However, Concordia displayed some power of their own with three home runs off of Eastern Michigan’s pitching staff. EMU now turns its focus to a road series with Miami this weekend.
Kent State 9, Indiana 8 (12 innings)
It took extra innings to do it, but the Golden Flashes (10-13, 1-2 MAC) got back to their winning ways with a huge win at Indiana. KSU opened up the scoring with a four-run second inning, but the Hoosiers answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning and tied the game up in the fourth inning thanks to a fielding error by Kent State. The Flashes took back the lead with Justin Kirby reaching home on a fielding error in the seventh inning and Kirby knocking in a run in the following inning. The Hoosiers again tied the game in the bottom of the eighth inning with back-to-back homers. The scoring resumed in the 11th inning as KSU scored on a RBI-single and hit batsmen, but a two-run homer by IU in the bottom of the inning kept the game alive. The Flashes finally earned the victory in dramatic fashion as Kian O’Brien scored in the following inning on a wild pitch. KSU hope to sustain its momentum this weekend as it hits the road to take on Ball State.
Toledo 4, Ohio State 9
The Rockets (9-13, 0-3 MAC) dropped their fourth game in a row as OSU opened with a 7-2 lead after the first three innings and never looked back. Brad Boss, Frank Ciacchi, and Mark Mohnickey each recorded a pair of hits with Boss picking up two RBIs. UT’s pitching staff didn’t play all that poorly, but eight walks and three unearned runs will do any team in. The Rockets hope to rebound this weekend as it hosts Western Michigan.
Western Michigan 2, Michigan State 3
Speaking of the Broncos (6-17, 0-3 MAC), they held their own on the road against a good team with nine hits but couldn’t string those hits together for scores. Cooper Marshall and Drew Devine put down RBI-singles in the second inning, but the Spartans cut their deficit in half in the bottom of the inning with a sacrifice bunt. An unearned run in the sixth inning tied the game at 2-2, and MSU took advantage of the bases loaded with one out in the eighth inning as a sacrifice fly gave the team the lead. WMU was able to put runners on the corners with one out in the following inning but consecutive outs stranded the tying and winning runs. The Broncos stranded a total of 14 baserunners to the Spartans’ seven and the pitching staff did its job with two earned runs with five hits allowed. Western Michigan will have to get over this loss quick as it gets ready for a road stand with Toledo this weekend.