East Michigan News

The Eastern Michigan University baseball team faced a narrow defeat against Northern Illinois University in an extra-innings game, ending with a score of 15-14. The contest took place on Friday, May 17, at Ralph McKinzie Field.

Brendan Kleiman was a standout player for the Eagles, hitting a home run for the second consecutive game and contributing three hits and three RBIs. He also set a personal record by scoring four runs.

In the early innings, Eastern Michigan fell behind but managed to take the lead with three runs in the second inning. They maintained their advantage through various plays, including a two-out RBI double by Kyle Schroedle in the third inning and Kleiman's two-run homer in the fourth.

Despite building an 8-3 lead, Eastern Michigan lost their edge as Northern Illinois responded strongly. The Eagles regained momentum in the seventh inning with six runs but were unable to hold off NIU's comeback. The game extended into extra innings before NIU secured victory with a run in the bottom of the 11th.

Several players made notable contributions during the game. Kleiman achieved his fourth three-hit performance and extended his hitting streak to five games. Schroedle added to his season total of RBIs and doubles, while Cooper Vance recorded his third three-RBI outing of the season.

Drew Jones stole a base and drew multiple walks during the match, enhancing his season statistics. Blake McRae led EMU in walks this season after drawing ten walks throughout this contest alone.

Friday's game marked Eastern Michigan's third extra-innings encounter this season. With this loss, their record in such games is now 1-2.

Historically, this was the 139th meeting between Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois. Despite losing, EMU still leads overall with an 83-56 record against NIU.

Eastern Michigan will conclude its 2024 season against Northern Illinois on Saturday, May 18.