May 23, 2008

Eastern Michigan pounds out 12 hits in win over BGSU

By Phil Stanton

CollegeBaseballInsider.com Co-Founder

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – Baseballs were flying out of the stadium like eagles, hit by Eagles.

Second-ranked Eastern Michigan had three of its 12 hits leave the yard in its 11-4 victory over Bowling Green on the second day of the Mid-American Conference Tournament Thursday at VA Memorial Stadium.

The Falcons will face Ohio in an elimination game at 9 a.m. Friday. The winner will have to beat EMU twice to advance to the MAC Championship Game, with the first meeting Friday at 4 p.m.

The Eagles scored in six of their eight innings at the plate. After BGSU got consecutive two-out RBI doubles from Derek Spencer and Mark Galvin in the top of the first, EMU answered with an RBI single from Jeff Davis in the bottom of the frame and a run-scoring base hit from Josh Ivan in the third to tie it at 2-2. Steve Bradshaw belted a two-run with one gone in the fifth and Davis followed with a solo shot as the Eagles took a 5-2 advantage.

Galvin doubled and scored in the sixth for the Falcons. That was answered by Jim Gulliver, who went deep in the bottom of the frame to make it 6-3. Ryan Shay singled and scored in the top of the seventh for BGSU, but Zach Leonard’s two-run double highlighted a four-run outburst in the bottom of the seventh to put the game away.

Dan Puls pitched the final 2.1 innings for the Eagles with two hits, no runs, one walk and three strikeouts to record his first save.

Matt Shoemaker (5-3) earned the win, working 6.2 innings with seven hits, three earned runs, three walks and four punchouts.

Bradshaw finished with three hits, including two doubles and a homer, three runs and two RBI. Galvin had three hits for the Falcons.