Miami University
Western Carolina
RedHawks Take Rubber Game With Western Carolina, 12-8
3/7/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 7, 2004
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - After dropping the first two games of the series in come-back fashion, Miami University's baseball team won its rubber match with Western Carolina, 12-8, behind a complete-game performance from freshman Keith Weiser (Hamilton, Ohio/Talawanda). The highly-touted freshman struck out seven in improving to 2-1 on the season. The RedHawks moved to 5-5, while WCU dropped to 7-6.
Miami broke open a 6-6 game with five runs in the top of the seventh inning. Walks by junior Paul Frietch (Montgomery, Ohio/Moeller) and sophomore Geoff Orr (Orland Park, Ill./Sanburg) brought junior Sam Sellery (Carmel, Ind./Cathedral) to the plate with two outs and runners on first and second. Sellery singled to center, scoring Frietch and junior Brian Canada (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) followed with another RBI single, scoring Orr. Senior Ryan Edginton (Chester Springs, Pa./Malvern Prep) followed with a three-run home run over the scoreboard in center field.
The RedHawks wasted no time, scoring four runs before making the first out of the game. Sophomore Jason Brown (Fairfield, Ohio/Fairfield) and junior John Slone (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) opened the game with back-to-back triples, and Miami went up 2-0 on a single up the middle by Frietch. Frietch was followed by a single by Orr and a walk to junior Mike Ferris (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain). With the bases loaded, Sellery singled up the middle, scoring Frietch and Orr. Sellery's hit chased Catamount starter Daniel Lindner.
Western battled back in the bottom half of the opening frame, hanging three unearned runs on Weiser. Todd Roper led off the inning reaching on an error and scored on Denver Edick's one-out single. Following a strike out, Alex Gary scored Edick with a double to the wall in left field. Gary scored on Brian Sigmon's subsequent single to center.
The game remained at 4-3 until the Catamnounts tied the game in the bottom of the fourth and sparked a back-and-forth battle between the two teams. Chad McKown hit a one-out solo shot to knot the game at 4-4 in the fourth.
Miami struck back immediately in the top of the fifth. Slone beat out an infield single to lead off the inning and Frietch followed with his fourth home run of the season, this time deep to straight-away center field. WCU got a home run in its half of the inning, cutting the Red and White lead to 6-5.
The Catamounts tied the score, 6-6, in the bottom of the sixth inningon a run-scoring double by Chris Davis. Wayne Kilmer had a one-out single and scored two batters later when Davis knocked the ball into the left field corner.
Ferris added his fifth home run of the series, a solo shot to left center field, to put the RedHawks up by six, 12-6. WCU responded in the bottom half of the eighth inning as Kilmer hit his second home run of the afternoon and added another run in the bottom of the ninth to provide for the 12-8 final.
Miami returns to action Wednesday, March 10th, at loacl-rival Dayton. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
