April 29, 2008

Box Score

RICHMOND, Kent. - Trailing by eight runs heading into the ninth inning, Miami University's baseball team scored six runs to bring the tying run to the plate, but the RedHawks comeback fell short as the Eastern Kentucky Colonels defeated Miami, 9-7, Tuesday afternoon.

The Colonels jumped on top in the first inning scoring two runs off of two hits and one Miami error. The lead-off man, Aaron Barrows, walked to start the frame and on an attempted sacrifice bunt during the next at-bat, a Miami throwing error allowed Barrows to score all the way from first, while advancing Anthony Ottrando to second base. A balk moved Ottrando to third base and a single during the next at-bat plated the Colonels second run of the inning.

Miami's (15-28) threatened in the third inning as freshman Jon Edgington singled to right field, before moving up to second base on his eighth stolen base of the season. After a strike out and a fly out, a wild pitch allowed Edgington to move to third base. Junior Jordan Petraitis kept the inning alive with a walk, but a strike out ended the Miami scoring threat.

Eastern Kentucky (21-21-1) used another lead-off walk to plate its third run of the game in the third inning. Back-to-back walks and a wild pitch placed Colonel runners on second and third base with one out. A sacrifice fly plated another run, increasing the EKU lead to 3-0.

Three more runs in the Colonel sixth inning bulked the Eastern Kentucky lead to 6-0, before Eastern Kentucky tacked on two more runs in the seventh. Barrows reached on a Miami error to start things off and then stole second base, advancing into scoring position. After a strike out, a two-run home run by Dylan McMaine extended the advantage to 8-0. Another run in the seventh inning pushed the Colonel lead to 9-0.

A lead-off double by freshman Adam Eaton helped the RedHawks score its first run in the eighth inning. After Eaton doubled down the right field line, he advanced to third base on a failed pick-off attempt. Two batters later, junior Chris Nadeau singled through the right side plating Eaton and making the score 9-1.

Miami kept battling into the ninth inning. Freshman Kyle Weldon started things off with a pinch-hit single and then Weldon advanced to third base on a single to left center by freshman Adam Weisenburger. Edgington singled to first base, his third hit of the game, resulting in a RBI as the RedHawks closed to within seven runs, 9-2. A passed ball allowed Weisenburger to move to third base and a sacrifice fly by senior Chris Rodriguez scored Miami's third run of the game. A fly out by Eaton was Miami's second out, but Petraitis kept the inning alive with his second walk of the game, moving Edgington to second base. Nadeau was hit by a pitch to load the bases and the bases were quickly cleared as junior Tommy Nurre doubled down the right field line bringing home all three runners and closing the RedHawk deficit to three runs, 9-6. A single by senior Evan Armitage brought home Nurre, closing the gap to 9-7, and brought the tying run to the plate. However, a groundout ended the game as the RedHawks fell to the Colonels, 9-7.

Nurre and Edgington collected three hits apiece and drove in three runs and one run, respectively. Nurre's double in the ninth inning was his 17th of the season, which ties him for 10th place on Miami's single-season doubles list.

The RedHawks and Colonels re-convene tomorrow evening in Oxford for a 6 p.m. start.