May 14, 2008

Box Score

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - (Wednesday, May 14, 2008) The way the history of the Redhawks baseball and Central Arkansas match-up has played out the last two seasons one of the two teams was going to score a lot of runs. Unfortunately it was the Bears that had their offense firing on all cylinders as they hammered the Redhawks staff for an 11-2 victory at Capaha Field on Wednesday. The game was the final home game and non-conference game for the Redhawks who end the season 14-13 at home.

The Redhawks (22-22, 11-11 OVC) trailed from the onset of the game as the Bears (25-26-1, 11-15-1 Southland) struck for four runs in the opening inning off of starter Corey Harness (Spring, TX/Klein Collins) highlighted by Richey Irvin's two-run double.

The Redhawks countered with a run in their half of the first. Nick Harris (Alabaster, AL/Thompson) reached on a one-out walk and stole his seventh base of the season and later moved to third on a grounder. Matt Wagner (Wahoo, NE/Nebraska) then singled to right field to plate Harris. The Redhawks would eventually end the inning with the bases loaded.

The Bears struck again in the third inning scoring four runs with two of those runs coming off the bat of Graham Martin who plated two with a single down the right field line, knocking Harness out of the game. Daniel Schuh (Jacksonville, FL/Bishop Kenny) came in the game in relief and allowed two unearned runs but settled down and pitched three scoreless innings.

After the Redhawks scored their second and final run of the game off a Harris sacrifice fly to score Andrew Wiese (Waterloo, IL/Waterloo), who reached on an error and moved to third on an Zachary Blemker (Vincennes, IN/Vincennes CC) double, the Bears scored three runs in the seventh and added another run in the top of the ninth to round out their 12-run offensive ouput.

The Redhawks had their chances offensively but stranded 11 runners on base including twice ending an inning with the bases loaded.

Harris was the only Redhawk to record a multi-hit game as he finished 2-3 with a double, one run and one RBI. It was his 15th multi-hit game of the season.

Blemker went 1-5 from the lead-off spot with his sixth double of the season. He extended his career-high hitting streak to seven games.

Tyrell Cummings (Muskogee, OK/Seminole State CC) went 1-4 and extended his current hitting streak to five games.

Harness (0-2) was credited with the loss allowing six runs on six hits and two walks in two innings of work. His counterpart Brandon Dunn shutdown the Redhawks potent offense allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits in six innings of work.

Offensively three Bears recorded three-hit games led by Irvin who went 3-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored.

The Redhawks conclude the regular season this weekend as they head to Morehead, Kentucky to face ninth-place Morehead State for a critical three-game series. The fifth-place Redhawks need at least two victories to assure themselves a top-six finish in the OVC standings and a OVC Tournament berth. First pitch is set for noon on Friday, May 17 with a doubleheader and concludes Saturday with the series finale.