Miami University
Columbia
RedHawks Split Doubleheader in Florida
3/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 18, 2004
BRADENTON, Fla. - The Miami baseball team moved to 4-2 and 11-7 overall on its Spring Trip in Florida today splitting a doubleheader, losing the opener to Columbia University 6-4 and coming back with a close 6-5 win over the University of Iowa.
Columbia University used five early runs in the first three innings and held on to beat Miami 6-4 in the first half of the doubleheader. Miami struggled on offense until the last three innings when it mustarded together three runs, including two in the ninth. Overall, the RedHawks stranded 14 runners in the game. Miami was able to make the game close thanks to the bat of Mike Ferris who is tied for the team lead with 10 RBIs on the trip. Ferris paced Miami versus the Bulldogs with a 2-for-3 performance and two RBIs. Junior right-hander Brad Bachman threw 6.2 innings in relief of Sam Shorts to give Miami a chance at the end.
In the night cap, the Miami offense was consistent throughout racking up runs in four different innings versus the Hawkeyes, but it was the strong pitching performance by freshman left-hander and Oxford native Keith Weiser and sophomore Matt Long that led the way for the RedHawks. Weiser kept Iowa off balance for 6.1 innings allowing three runs and striking out four. Long shut the door on the Hawkeyes in the seventh and eighth innings ending two Iowa rallies with inning-ending strikeouts.
The RedHawks continue play tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. versus another Big Ten opponent, taking on Northwestern at the Manatee Community College before closing out its Spring Trip Saturday versus UMass.
