MOREHEAD, Ky. — The Morehead State Eagle baseball team certainly had a day to remember Saturday afternoon as they took two games over Canisius after dropping the opener Friday. Great pitching and timely hitting in the doubleheader propelled Head Coach
Mik Aoki's squad to victories by scores of 4-3 and 5-2.
GAME ONE
While he may not have picked up a win in his individual stats on Saturday, game one starter
Joe Rotkis was able to overcome a rocky third inning to give the Eagles a chance heading into the later stages of the contest. Rotkis finished the day with a career-best seven strikeouts, while only giving up three runs over six innings of work.
In the sixth inning, after
Jacob Ferry was able to put the Eagles on the board with a sacrifice fly, Morehead State pushed across two more runs to tie the game at three thanks to an RBI double from
Chase Vinson, who then scored on a double steal after advancing to third on a
Nick Gooden infield single.
John Bakke came on in the top of the seventh inning, and the left-hander ended up picking up the win after striking out three of the six batters he faced, giving up only a single in his second appearance of the season.
After Bakke shut the door on Canisius in the top half of the eighth inning, the Eagles managed to load the bases before Gooden chopped a grounder that Golden Griffins' shortstop Kyle Kush was unable to handle, scoring the game-winning run and tying the series at a game apiece.
GAME TWO
After a rough start to his season last weekend at Kennesaw State, starter
Alex Kafka pitched a gem in a bounce back start in the second game of the day for the Eagles. Pitching six strong innings, Kafka struck out five Golden Griffins while only walking one, allowing only three hits and two runs (one earned) in the process.
The Eagles' offense was sparked by solid games from
Ryley Preece,
Jackson Feltner, and
Brody Shoupe. Preece homered for the second time in as many days with a solo shot in the sixth. Feltner finished the game 2-for-3, and Shoupe got the green light on a 3-0 count and smacked a single up the middle that scored
Ashton Roy from third to give the Eagles a lead they never gave up.
After Kafka's solid outing, Bakke emerged from the Morehead State bullpen again to pick up the save in the second game. Bakke was his usual self, striking out two to shut the door on a potential Canisius comeback.
Leading the series, 2-1, Morehead State (3-4) will hand the ball to
Matt Bettio (1-0) in a Sunday matinee at Noon ET. The game will be on ESPN+ and live stats will be available as well.
