May 9, 2003

Box Score

KENT, Ohio - In its first game of a series that will more than likely determine the host of the Mid-American Conference baseball tournament, the Miami University (29-19-1, 15-6 MAC) baseball team fell to Kent State (28-15, 14-3 MAC), 3-2, in a 10-inning contest. The Golden Flashes won the game in the bottom of the 10th inning on a walk-off home run by Chris Welsch.

Kent State took the first lead of the ballgame in the first inning, 1-0, off a two-out error by Miami's second baseman. With men at the corners and two out, Pat O'Brien blooped a ball into shallow left field that was bobbled by the fielder allowing Joe Tucker to score from third base.

Sophomore Brian Canada (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) helped jumpstart a RedHawk rally in the third inning by leading off the frame with a double to left field. An error on Kent State's hurler, Dirk Hayhurst, allowed Canada to come all the way home on a sacrifice bunt by senior Zach Schmidt (Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas). The RedHawks nearly took a 2-1 lead if not for Kent State's centerfielder who stole a would-be hit from sophomore Mike Ferris (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) with a diving catch to end the inning.

The RedHawks threatened to take the lead in the fourth inning when a double by sophomore John Slone (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) put men on second and third with only one out. KSU's Hayhurst, however, got the next Miami batter to strike out and closed out the frame with a routine ground out to escape without any harm.

Both teams struggled to put any sort of offense together during the middle innings as freshman southpaw Sam Shorts (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard East) and Hayhurst settled into their pitching routines. The Golden Flashes finally got to Shorts in the sixth inning when Welsch and Pat O'Brien opened the frame with back-to-back hits. After a fly ball moved Welsch over to third, Kent State attempted a double steal which resulted in a contraversial balk call by the umpring crew. Both coaches plead their arguments on the field but in the end Welsch's run remained on the scoreboard to give the home team a 2-1 lead.

Ferris forced Hayhurst out of the game in the top of the eighth inning with a leadoff double to right-center field. Kent State relieved Hayhurst with closer Gus Hlebovy and on his second pitch tossed it into the backstop to allow Ferris to slide into third. Sophomore Paul Frietch (Montgomery, Ohio/Moeller) came up with the clutch hit off Hlebovy as he plated Ferris with an RBI single to center field. Ferris' run tied the game at 2-2 for the Red and White.

The bottom of the eighth became scary for the RedHawks after Welsch hit a one-out double to start a rally. Miami relieved Shorts in favor of junior Michael Gardner (Louisville, Ky./Louisville) who hit the next to KSU batters to load the bases. Miami brought in freshman Graham Taylor (Villa Hills, Ky./Dixie Heights) to put out the fire and he just did that with two fly outs to keep it a 2-2 game. One of those outs was a beautiful catch by Canada in foul territory by the Kent State dugout.

KSU's Welsch put an end to the game in the bottom of the 10th inning when he took a 2-2 offering from junior Adam Keel (Fairfield, Ohio/Fairfield) deep over the left field wall for a walk-off home run. The home run gave Kent State the 3-2 victory as well as improved Hlebovy's record to 5-3. Keel gets the loss to drop to 3-4 on the season.

The RedHawks and Kent State meet again tomorrow at Gene Michael Field for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.