May 16, 2008

Box Score

OXFORD - After falling to Kent State, 6-3, in game one of its doubleheader on Friday, the Miami (18-35; 8-18 MAC) baseball team had one of its most remarkable comebacks in the school's history in game two to salvage a split on the day with the Golden Flashes.

Heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, trailing by 11 runs, the RedHawks sent 15 batters to the plate, scoring 12 times to earn a 17-16 victory in exciting fashion.

In a game that lasted 3:32, the two teams combined to use 27 position players, 10 pitchers, score 33 runs, collect 45 hits, and hit six home runs.

Junior Tommy Nurre had a huge day at the plate for Miami, going 6-for-10 and driving in five runs on a double and a grand slam home run. With his double, Nurre tied Miami's single-season record for doubles with 21, a record that has stood for 20 years.

Outfielder Blake Chaffee played a big role in the comeback during game two, picking up hits in four of his five at-bats. With the four-hit performance, Chaffee raised his batting average by 27 points.

Freshman Adam Eaton also made an impact for Miami during the two games against Kent State, collecting four hits, walking three times, driving in two runs and crossing home plate three times.

Despite taking the loss in the first game, senior pitcher Matt Erwood was outstanding for Miami, going eight innings, giving up just four runs on six hits. He struck out five Kent State batters in the game.

Kent State (32-20; 15-8 MAC) opened the scoring in game one, as designated hitter Ryan Mitchell drove a ball through the left side of the infield, scoring Greg Rohan from second base on the hit. For Mitchell, the RBI was his 15th of the season.

The Golden Flashes' made the most of their outs in the top of the third inning, scoring two runs on sacrifice flies to the outfield. Infielders Doug Sanders and Greg Rohan each drove in runs for Kent State, extending the team's lead to 3-0.

The Red and White battled back in the bottom of the third when second baseman Evan Armitage hammered a ball into the right centerfield gap, putting him on third base. One batter later, outfielder Jon Edgington brought Armitage in with a groundout to second base.

KSU regained its three-run lead in the top of the fifth inning on a solo shot over the left field wall by Chris Tremblay. For the Kent State shortstop, the home run was his fourth on the year.

Miami pushed across a run of its own in the bottom half of the fifth when Kent State starting pitcher Chris Carpenter walked centerfielder Adam Eaton with the bases loaded, forcing home J.D. Mynhier from third base. Eaton has driven in 25 runs during his rookie campaign.

The RedHawks' leading hitter, first baseman Tommy Nurre, cut the Kent State lead to just one run at 4-3, when he doubled over the head of the right fielder, bringing Adam Eaton all the way around from first. With the double, Nurre tied Miami's single-season record for doubles with 21 on the year.

In the top of the ninth inning, KSU padded its lead with two insurance runs, giving the Golden Flashes a 6-3 lead over Miami. Kent State brought its closer Reid Lamport into the game in the bottom of the ninth, and worked a perfect one-two-three inning to seal the victory.

Miami struck early in the second game, pushing the first run of the game across in the bottom of the first inning, when left fielder Chris Nadeau grounded out deep to second base, allowing Adam Eaton to come home on the play.

The lead didn't last long for the RedHawks, as Kent State scored six times in the top of the second inning on five hits and a walk, including a two-run home run off the bat of Anthony Gallas.

The RedHawks clawed their way back in the bottom of the second, scoring three runs on three consecutive hits by Blake Chaffee, Adam Eaton and Jordan Petraitis to make the score 6-4.

Kent State extended its lead to 7-4 in the top of the fifth, when Brad Winter drove in his second run of the game on a triple to the left centerfield gap. Winter went 3-for-6 during the doubleheader with two RBI and three runs scored.

One batter later, KSU catcher John Lydic brought Winter home from third, making the score 8-4.

The Golden Flashes blew the game open in the sixth, an inning in which eight batters came to the plate, scoring five times on five hits. It was designated hitter Ben Klafczynski doing much of the damage for Kent State, drilling a three-run home run over the left field fence.

Miami answered back in the bottom of the sixth with a run of its own, as Evan Armitage scored on a sacrifice fly to centerfield off the bat of Jordan Petraitis.

After two scoreless innings, Kent State put an exclamation point on its scoring for the day, hitting two home runs in the top of the ninth, giving the Golden Flashes a 16-5 lead.

Heading into the bottom of the ninth inning trailing by 11 runs, things looked bleak for Miami. The RedHawks then went on to send 15 batters to the plate, stringing together ten-consecutive hits after Kent State had recorded the first out of the inning. In an inning that saw a walk, 10 singles, and two home runs hit, including one of the grand slam variety off the bat of Tommy Nurre, it was John Hornke's sacrifice fly to centerfield that drove in the game-winning run.

The RedHawks hope to have some of Friday's momentum carry over to Saturday, as Miami closes out its 2008 season, and finish its three-game series with Kent State. The game is set for a 1 p.m. start time.