May 21, 2004
Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio - The Miami (34-17, 14-6 Mid-American Conference) baseball team clinched its first MAC East Division championship on Friday afternoon with an exciting come-from-behind victory of divisional-rival Kent State, 11-9. The Golden Flashes led most of the game until the Red and White crossed the plate seven times in the seventh inning to claim the top spot in the East Division.
Kent State's (29-24, 12-10 MAC) leading hitter Chad Kinyon jumped all over a 3-2 pitch from freshman Keith Weiser (Hamilton, Ohio/Talawanda) in the first inning to give the Golden Flashes a 3-0 lead. Back-to-back singles to open the inning put two men on base for Kinyon who cleared the bases with his 14th home run of the season. After the Kinyon home run, Matt Sega hit a double to the left-center gap and came home on a single by Gregg Hiller to make it a 4-0 game.
Another run was scored off Weiser in the top of the second to send him out of the game and make it 5-0. Freshman Jeff Day (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota East) got the final two outs of the inning for the RedHawks in relief of Weiser.
The bottom of the second inning saw the Miami bats begin the heat up as two runs crossed the plate to make it 5-2. Junior Paul Frietch (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller) was responsible for plating both runs by hitting his sixth home run of the season over the center field wall. Getting on base for Frietch was junior Sam Sellery (Carmel, Ind./Cathedral) with a lead off double.
After grounding out into two outs, Kent State put together a little two-out rally in the top of the sixth inning to increase its lead to four runs, 6-2. Catcher Will Vazquez got a knock through the right side and was followed by a bunt single to put two runners on base. Back at the top of the KSU order, Andrew Davis delivered with a run-scoring double to right field to plate Vazquez from second.
Three consecutive baserunners to open the bottom of the sixth inning helped the RedHawks cut into the Kent State lead with a two-run frame, 6-4. KSU hurler Andy Sonnanstine put junior Mike Ferris (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) on base to open the inning when he hit him and then a single by Sellery put men on first and second for the Red and White. Junior Brian Canada (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) brought Ferris home with a single to center, and both he and Sellery advanced one bag on an error by the KSU centerfielder. The error proved to be costly for the Flashes as a sacrifice fly allowed Sellery to score for Miami's fourth run.
An RBI double by KSU's Adam Crowder in the seventh re-upped the Golden Flashes lead to three runs, 7-4. Freshman Ryne Robinson (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) turned a double play to get two outs, but another double by Crowder plated KSU's eighth run to make it 8-4.
With the RedHawk faithful all riled up after an ejection in the top seventh inning, Miami found a spark in the bottom half of the stanza by rallying to score seven runs and take its first lead of the game, 11-8. Three Kent State errors along with six Miami hits and three different pitchers out of the KSU bullpen allowed the RedHawks to take the lead.
Senior Chad Reineke (Defiance, Ohio/Ayersville) closed out the final two innings of the game for the RedHawks, striking out three Golden Flashes to save the win for Miami. The save was Reineke's fifth of the season and sealed up a win for sophomore reliever Sam Shorts (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard East).
The RedHawks and Kent State hit the diamond for game two of the series tomorrow afternoon at McKie Field at 1 p.m.
