Miami University
Birmingham-Southern
Miami Baseball Extends Winning Streak To Five Games
4/9/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 9, 2005
OXFORD, Ohio - The Miami University RedHawks (19-11) extended their winning streak to five games on Saturday afternoon with a 7-3 victory over the Panthers of Birmingham-Southern College (20-11) at Stanley G. McKie Field. It was Miami's second-straight victory over the Panthers after taking the opening game of the series, 4-1, on Friday afternoon.
Miami jumped on the board first with two runs in the bottom of the second. Senior Paul Frietch (Cincinnati, Ohio) doubled with one out in the inning and scored on freshman Evan Armitage's (Milford, Ohio) single to left. The next batter, senior Tyler Tabler (Cincinnati, Ohio), singled through the right side, plating Armitage to make the score 2-0.
Junior lefthander Graham Taylor (Villa Hills, Ky.) held Birmingham-Southern scoreless through 5.0 innings but the Panthers managed a run in the top of the sixth when Scott Billak scored from third on a wild pitch, cutting Miami's lead to 2-1.
Tabler restored Miami's two-run lead with his second hit of the afternoon, a single to right centerfield, in the bottom of the seventh. It was the senior's second RBI of the afternoon and came with junior Geoff Orr (Orland Park, Ill.) on second base. Orr singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on Armitage's sacrifice bunt.
After allowing a pair of singles to lead off the top of the eighth inning, Taylor was lifted in favor of sophomore righthander Jeff Day (West Chester, Ohio). Day retired the only batter he faced before giving way to classmate Connor Graham (Bowling Green, Ohio) with one out and runners on first and second.
Adam Tucker, the first batter Graham faced, ripped a double into the gap in left centerfield that scored one run. The next batter lofted a sacrifice fly to right, scoring the runner from third and tying the game, 3-3.
Taylor would not factor in the decision after going 7.0 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and striking out three.
Miami loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth on a BSC error, a single and an intentional walk before senior John Slone (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored from third on a balk, putting Miami in front, 4-3. After Tabler reached on a fielder's choice, keeping the bases loaded, junior shortstop Eric Radley (Hermitage, Tenn.) roped a bases-clearing double off the wall in left, staking the RedHawks to a 7-3 lead heading into the top of the ninth.
Connor Graham slammed the door on the Panthers in the ninth, retiring them in order to pick up his third victory of the season.
Frietch went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles while Tabler had a pair of hits and drove in two runs for the RedHawks. Sophomore Ryne Robinson (Toledo, Ohio) also had a multi-hit day, going 2-for-5.
The RedHawks and Panthers conclude their three-game series on Sunday afternoon with the first pitch slated for 1 p.m. Freshman righthander John Ely (Homewood, Ill.) puts his 2-1 record on the line for Miami. Ely leads Miami with a 1.67 ERA.
Notes: Miami is now 15-1 when leading after eight innings ... SR John Slone had his 11-game hitting streak snapped ... FR Connor Graham has 24 Ks in 20.2 innings of work ... SR Brian Canada has the team's longest active hitting streak at seven games.
