Miami University
Texas State
RedHawks Drop Season Opener To Texas State, 7-5
2/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 25, 2005
LAFAYETTE, La. - The Miami University RedHawks (0-1, 0-0 MAC) dropped their season opener on Friday to the Texas State Bobcats by a score of 7-5 at the Mardi Gras Ball Tournament hosted by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Texas State jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Jose Rodriguez belted a two-run home run over the left field wall off Miami starting pitcher Graham Taylor (Villa Hills, Ky.).
The long ball bit Taylor again in the fourth as second baseman Nolan Mast drove a long fly ball over the wall in right, with one runner on, making the score 4-0 for the Bobcats.
Miami exploded for four runs in the top half of the sixth. Junior Jon Franzese (Barrington, Ill) made the score 4-1 with a single to left that scored junior Geoff Orr (Orland Park, Ill), who singled to lead off the inning. Two batters later senior Brian Canada (Fishers, Ind.) singled to drive in classmate Tyler Tabler (Cincinnati, Ohio), who had walked earlier in the inning, bringing Miami to within two runs. Junior shortstop Eric Radley (Gallatin, Tenn.) drove in Franzese with a single to right, to make the score 4-3 before sophomore Ryne Robinson (Toledo, Ohio) tied the game, 4-4, when his fielder's choice groundball to second base plated Canada.
Freshman Chris Niro (Walton Hills, Ohio) relieved Taylor to start the bottom of the sixth and allowed two runners to reach base before giving way to junior Sam Shorts (Lombard, Ill.), who entered the game with runners on first and third and two outs. The first batter Shorts faced lined a single over Orr's head at third to put Texas State back in front, 5-4.
Tabler evened the score in the top of the seventh with a two-out double down the right-field line, scoring junior Will Reynolds (Brownsburg, Ill.) who singled to lead off the inning.
Sophomore Jeff Day (West Chester, Ohio) took the hill for the RedHawks in the bottom of the eighth and allowed two of the first three batters he faced to reach base before surrendering a run-scoring single through the left side, plating the game-winning run and putting the Bobcats in front, 6-5. The next batter hit a sacrifice fly to center field making the score 7-5 after eight innings. Miami was unable to put a runner aboard in the ninth.
Taylor went five innings for Miami, allowing four earned runs while striking out eight Texas State hitters. Day was tagged with the loss after throwing one inning and allowing two runs on three hits. Jarod Garza went 2.1 innings in relief to pick up the win for the Bobcats.
Miami outhit Texas State, 11-10, with Canada and Radely each collecting three hits. Franzese went 2-for-3.
The RedHawks return to action on Saturday when they take on the host Louisiana Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns at 2 p.m. in the second game of the Mardi Gras Ball Tournament.
