March 19, 2005

Box Score

BRADENTON, Fla. - The Miami University (8-9) baseball team completed its spring trip on Saturday morning with a 4-2 loss to the University of Illinois Fighting Illini (6-3-1) at IMG Academy Field. The RedHawks were 6-4 on the trip including a series victory over the University of Alabama last weekend in Tuscaloosa. It was the first time since 1992 that a visiting team had taken a non-conference series from the Crimson Tide.

After the Fighting Illini took a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly in the top of the second, the RedHawks responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the third on John Slone's (Cincinnati, Ohio) sacrifice fly to center field that scored junior Eric Radley (Hermitage, Tenn.) who doubled to lead off the inning.

Miami took its first lead of the game in the bottom half of the fourth when junior Paul Frietch's (Cincinnati, Ohio) fly ball to center field scored senior Brian Canada (Fishers, Ind.) from third base.

Illinois chased Miami's Graham Taylor (Villa Hills, Ky.) from the game in the top of the fifth as they loaded the bases with no outs. Sophomore righthander Jeff Day (West Chester, Ohio) walked the first batter he faced to bring in the game-tying run but proceeded to get a pair of ground balls from the next two hitters, one of which turned into an inning-ending 5-2-3 double play.

Taylor went 4.0 innings and gave up two runs on two hits, struck out four and walked five and would not factor in the decision.

With runners on first and third and one out in the top of the seventh, Illinois executed a squeeze bunt that plated the runner from third and made the score 3-2 in favor of the Fighting Illini.

Illinois added an insurance run in the top of the ninth with a solo home run off the bat of first baseman Dusty Bensko.

Day was charged with the loss, dropping his record to 0-3 while Illinois' Brian Blomquist scattered 8 hits over 7.2 innings to pick up the victory.

Miami will be back in action on March 23 when they take on IPFW at 3 p.m. at McKie Field in Oxford.

Notes: JR Eric Radley collected his third three-hit game of the season ... SO Ryne Robinson extended his hitting streak to six games ... JR Jon Franzese owns the season's longest hitting streak at seven games.

-- www.MURedHawks.com--