Two big hits by Minnesota sophomore outfielder Bobby Juan put the Michigan baseball team behind and a ninth-inning rally came up short in a 6-3 loss to the Gophers on Friday.

Juan’s three-run, inside-the-park home run gave the Gophers a 4-1 lead in the third inning and he’d add an RBI triple in the fifth in front of 414 fans at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

Three walks by Minnesota pitcher Tom Windle loaded the bases with Wolverines with one out in the top of the ninth inning.

Pinch hitter Alex Lakatos had an RBI single off reliever Kevin Kray and, one out later, Patrick Biondi earned an RBI with a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, pulling Michigan within three runs.

A Will Drake groundout to second base ended the threat.

Biondi had three of Michigan’s six hits. Starter Brandon Sinnery took the loss after allowing nine hits and six earned runs over six innings.

More baseball

Eastern Michigan 9, Ohio 7: Fifth-inning home runs by Lee Longo and Matt Hitt gave EMU a 7-1 lead and the Eagles (10-15, 3-1) held on for the Mid-American Conference road win. Bo Kinder (2-for-5) and Brent Ohrman (3-for-5) extended hitting streaks to 13 and 10 games, respectively, with each player driving in a run. (Details)

Softball

Eastern Michigan 13-6, Buffalo 4-5: The Eagles (12-17, 2-0) scored in all five mercy rule-shortened innings of the first game, including home runs by Nellie Coquillard, Amanda Herron and Lindsay Smith. Amanda Stanton had two home runs and four RBIs in the second game of the MAC-opening doubleheader. Jenna Ignowski won both games. (Details)

Women’s tennis

Eastern Michigan 5, Ball State 2: The Eagles (6-11, 2-0) remain unbeaten in MAC play. (Details)