Bowling Green State University
MIAMI (OH)
Baseball Falls, 13-4, To Miami In Series Finale
April 27, 2008 | Baseball
April 27, 2008
OXFORD, Ohio - The Miami RedHawks scored 10 runs in the middle innings on Sunday afternoon to blow-open a 3-2 lead on way to a 13-4 victory over the Bowling Green State University baseball team in game three of their three-game Mid-American Conference series at MU's McKie Field. The RedHawks scored four in the fifth, five in the sixth and one in the seventh, while the Falcons were held to just two runs on five hits in the final six innings, as the victory gave the RedHawks a 2-1 win of the weekend series.
With the victory, the RedHawks improved to 15-27 overall and 6-12 in the MAC, while the Falcons dropped to 20-18 and 7-8, respectively.
Leading the way for the Falcons on the afternoon was sophomore third baseman Derek Spencer. The Oregon, Ohio native tied for a game-high with three hits, as he drove in two runs to finish the weekend with seven total hits (7-for-12) and four RBI. Adding two hits was junior shortstop Ryan Shay, while senior outfielder Andrew Foster was the lone Falcon, besides Spencer, to finish with an RBI.
After BG jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI base hit by Spencer, the RedHawks answered with a run in the home half of the second to even the game at 1-1. A sacrifice fly by Foster once again gave BG the lead in the top half of the third, but MU answered right back with two of their in the home half to take their first lead of the game at 3-2.
That would be where things quickly turned in the RedHawks' favor. BG starter Kevin Leady had allowed just three runs on two hits in the game's first four innings, but saw that change in the home half of the fifth. Back-to-back hit by pitches and a double by MU shortstop Jordan Petraitis brought in the first run, just before Chris Nadeau plated two more with an RBI-double to right.
The Petraitis double would end the afternoon for Leady, who took the loss, tossing four and 1/3 innings. He would allow seven runs on hive hits, as he recorded one strikeout, falling to 2-4 on the season.
Kyle Atkinson and Brennan Smith both tried to stop the bleeding on the mound, but couldn't get the Falcons out of the inning soon enough.Two batters after Nadeau doubled, Brad Gschwind made it a 7-3 RedHawk lead with a one-out sacrifice fly to right that scored Nadeau. It was the final run of the fifth inning for the RedHawks, but their bats were just heating up.
The RedHawks went on to put up a five-spot in the sixth to take a 12-4 lead, in an inning where defensive breakdowns only aided in the results. Three walks, one hit by pitch, one passed ball and a fielding error allowed for the RedHawks to need just two hits to bring home the five runs.
Firnally in the seventh, BG was able to tame the RedHawk bats. Junior right-hander Dusty Hawk and Phil Hettlinger combined to allow a single run on five hits in the final two and 2/3 innings. Unfortunatley though for BG, the offense couldn't get anything going as RedHawk relievers Brandon Meister, Reece Asbury and Jamaal Hollis were terrific in relief. The three combined to allow the Falcons just three hits in the final three and 2/3 innings in relief of starter Tyler Melling.
Melling, a left-handed freshman, went five and 1/3 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits as he recorded three strikeouts. The effort earned him his first collegiate victory as he improved to 1-2 with the win.
Melling and the pitching staff was backed up by a RedHawk lineup that saw three players collect multiple-hits and four collect multiple-RBI. Pacing MU was first baseman Tommy Nurre, who went 3-for-3 on the day, accounting for two runs scored, while driving in two others. Leading the team in RBI was third baseman Brad Gschwind, who was 1-for-3 with a game-high three RBI.
BG would leave five runners on base in the game, while the RedHawks stranded 10.
BG will return to the diamond next Friday when they head to Athens, Ohio to battle the Ohio University Bobcats. Game one of the three-game MAC East Division series will start at 6 p.m.
