April 2, 2010

Final Stats

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.-Central Michigan pitcher Jess Hernandez kept visiting Ohio off balance all afternoon with a complete game effort as the Chippewas defeated the Bobcats 7-2 Friday afternoon at Theunissen Stadium.

CMU improved to 12-10 and 3-1 in the Mid-American Conference, while Ohio dropped to 3-19 and 1-3 in the league.

Hernandez (4-1) allowed six hits and just one earned run, while striking out five and walking one on 116 pitches.

Ohio starter Seth Streich (0-3) took the loss, but rebounded from a rocky first inning to put up solid numbers. He went seven innings and yielded just five hits and four earned runs with seven strikeouts and two walks.

Chippewas’ first baseman Nate Theunissen and designated hitter Brendan Emmett both had two hits, while Theunissen, who connected on his 10th double of the season, drove in three. Right fielder Tyler Kipke knocked in two on a pair of RBI groundouts. Emmett and catcher Dale Cornstubble crossed the plate twice.

Ohio was led by three hits from first baseman Jerod Yakubik, while left fielder Robert Maddox III and catcher Kris McDonough each drove in a run.

CMU got four runs in the first, before Streich shut them down for his final six innings of work. The Chips then posted three more in the seventh, before the Bobcats rallied with two runs in the top of the ninth. Maddox’s sixth double of the season knocked in preseason All-American center fielder Gauntlett Eldemire, who reached on an error by CMU shortstop Robbie Harman, who is also a member of the Chippewas’ men’s basketball team. McDonough drove in Yakubik with a single to the right side after Yakubik had reached on a base knock to right for the team’s final run.

The two teams will square off Saturday at 2 p.m. ET in the second game of the series.