May 23, 2008

Box Score

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio - Marc Krauss (Deshler, Ohio) hit a grand slam in the third inning and Matt Stiffler (Bellbrook, Ohio) also homered but the Ohio baseball team fell to Eastern Michigan, 9-6, in the semifinals of the 2008 Mid-American Conference Tournament at V.A. Memorial Stadium.

Eastern Michigan was paced by starting pitcher Jake Stapf, who threw 8 2/3 innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits with six strikeouts and five base on balls. Ohio's Kevin Mementowski (Parma, Ohio) took the loss for the Bobcats, surrendering six runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings with two strikeouts and one base on balls. It was just his second start of the season and the loss dropped his season record to 1-6.

The Bobcats finished the 2008 campaign with a 29-30 record and a 2-2 showing in the conference tournament. Eastern Michigan (24-32) moves on to the MAC Championship tomorrow afternoon.

Krauss tallied one hit on the day, his grand slam in the third, but shortstop Zach Hartle (Toledo, Ohio) led the Bobcats with three hits in four at-bats, scoring one run. Eastern Michigan first baseman Steve Bradshaw led the Eagles with three RBI on 3-of-5 hitting. He also scored two runs.

Stiffler recorded his 91st hit of the season, tying him for first all-time in the Bobcat record book for hits in a single season with Ben Crabtree, in the bottom of the seventh inning. The senior center fielder tied the mark in fitting fashion, by launching a deep home run to right-center field that not only cut the Eagle lead to three at 9-6, but pushed Stiffler into sole possession of second on the all-time list for home runs in a single season with 18 in his final year in Athens. He tied Ohio pitching coach Andrew See's mark of 17 home runs in the Bobcats' win against Western Michigan on Thursday morning.

Unfortunately, Stiffler's record-tying hit came too late, as Eastern Michigan started the scoring early in the contest and built an early lead.

The Eagles' leadoff man, Kyle Rhoad, began the game by blasting the first pitch from Mementowski  high over the left field fence for his eighth home run of the season.

The Eagles tacked on three additional runs off Mementowski in the top of the third inning when third baseman Josh Leonard rocketed a single off the left field wall that, while played well on the bounce by Gauntlett Eldemire (Shaker Heights, Ohio) to limit Leonard to only a single, scored Steve Bradshaw and Jeff Davis from third and second, respectively.

Ohio got on the board in the bottom of the third inning when Jeremie Rehak (Pittsburgh, Pa.) was issued a five-pitch walk with the bases loaded, forcing in Hartle from third. It was the second straight walk of the inning issued by EMU starter Stapf after Zach Keen (Beavercreek, Ohio) reached base on a fielding error by Leonard at third base.

Krauss would not settle for just one RBI in the next at-bat, connecting on a towering drive that cleared the wall in center field and also cleared the bases for a grand slam, his 10th long ball of the season. The slam gave Ohio a 5-3 lead after three frames despite recording just two hits in the inning.

Eastern Michigan cut the lead in half to 5-4 in the top of the next inning when left fielder Michael Boyd hit his second home run of the season over the left-center field fence. Mementowski issued two straight singles to Rhoad and designated hitter Aaron Powell after the home run and was pulled from the game for right-handed reliever Matt Schlarb (Lexington, Ohio).

Facing his first batter of the game, Schlarb surrendered a double to EMU's Bradshaw which plated Rhoad from third. Davis followed with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Powell, giving EMU the lead was again, 6-5. The Eagles tacked on another run in the top of the fourth, with EMU second baseman Josh Ivan's single driving in Bradshaw.

The Eagles scored two more times in the top of the sixth inning, this time off Adam Goodpasture (Toledo, Ohio) pushing their lead to 9-5. Bradshaw delivered again for his ballclub, driving in two teammates on a single up the middle.

Robert Wendzicki saved his ninth game of the season for the Eagles, earning just the final out of the game in the ninth inning.

Eastern Michigan earned a spot in the MAC Championship game tomorrow and will play the winner of the Northern Illinois/Kent State contest on Saturday afternoon.