Miami University
Massachusetts
RedHawks Blanked 4-0 By Massachusetts
3/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 14, 2005
BRADENTON, Fla.. - After winning two of three games from the University of Alabama, something no non-conference opponent had done since 1994, the Miami RedHawks continued their spring trip, traveling to Bradenton, Fla., where they battled the University of Massachusetts Minutemen at Robert C. Wynn Field on the campus of Manatee Community College. The RedHawks were held to just four hits as they were blanked 4-0.
Massachusetts opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. After retiring the first two batters, Miami freshman Chris Niro (Walton Hills, Ohio) surrendered two hits and walked two more Minutemen, putting the RedHawks down 2-0.
The Minutemen struck for two more in their half of the second as Niro again had trouble finding the plate, walking two batters, and giving up one hit in the inning. An error by Miami center fielder Jason Brown (Fairfield, Ohio) accounted for the second run as a single to center skipped under his glove, allowing the runner to score all the way from first base.
Niro was replaced by classmate Bobby Oberschlake (Felicity, Ohio) with two outs in the second and a runner on first after walking two more batters. Oberschlake fanned the final batter of the inning to keep the score 4-0. In 2.2 innings of work, Niro gave up four runs on three hits and walked six while striking out one.
The RedHawks threatened to score in the top half of the seventh, loading the bases with just one out but a foul pop out by senior John Slone (Cincinnati, Ohio) and a fly out to centerfield by junior Geoff Orr (Orland Park, Ill.) kept Miami from getting on the board.
Oberschlake was masterful in his 5.1 innings of work on the mound as he held the Minutemen scoreless and allowed just two hits while striking out five. The freshman's strong relief outing kept Miami in the game but the RedHawks stranded 11 runners in the game and were unable to solve Massachusetts' Keith Doherty, who tossed a complete game four-hit shutout to earn the victory. The last time Miami was shutout was in the final game of the 2004 Mid-American Conference tournament (2-0 vs. Eastern Michigan).
Jason Brown had two of Miami's four hits while junior Jon Franzese (Barrington, Ill.) and senior Tyler Tabler (Cincinnati, Ohio) had the others. Niro, making his first collegiate start, was tagged with the loss, dropping his season record to 0-1.
The RedHawks will continue their spring schedule on Tues., March 15 with a game versus the University of Kentucky starting at 7 p.m.
