March 1, 2002

Box Score

Lexington, KY - Junior outfielder Michael Carlin (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon), pinch hitting in the ninth, rallied the RedHawks to a 3-2 win over the University of Kentucky in the opening game of the Holiday Inn North Classic with a two-out two-run homerun at Applebee's Park in Lexington, K.Y.

Trailing 2-1 going into the ninth inning, the RedHawks rallied as Ryan Edginton (Chester Springs, Pa./Arizona State) opened up the inning with a single followed up by Josh Widlansky (Coral Springs, Fla./Tarvella), who reached base on an error. The catcher then picked Edington off second and John Slone (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) struck out, setting the plate for Carlin and his late-game heroics. Carlin took his first pitch from Kentucky hurler Cory Hahn and drove it 400 feet over the left-centerfield wall to give the RedHawks their first lead of the game. The homerun was Carlin's seventh of his career. Miami generated its only other run of the game in the seventh inning off a Zach Schmidt single to center field that scored Edginton.

Senior pitcher Billy Kieninger (Xenia, Ohio/Xenia) pitched the final 1.2 innings for the win. In the ninth inning with runners on first and third with no outs Kieninger struck out two batters looking and got the final out via a flyout to center field. Kieninger came in to replace Shawn Landis (Pleasant Hill, Ohio/University of Dayton), who allowed Kentucky's go-ahead run, with one out in the eighth inning. Junior lefthander Chris Leonard (Columbus, Ohio/St. Francis De Sales), the Pitcher of the Year in the Cape Cod League last summer, started the game for the RedHawks, going six innings, striking out seven and allowing just one run.

The RedHawks (1-0) return to the field tomorrow for the second game of the Holiday Inn North Classic, taking on Kentucky (4-6) again at 2:00 p.m. at Applebee's Park.