March 24, 2006
Box Score
TOLEDO, Ohio - Playing in its Mid-American Conference opener, the Miami University baseball team (7-9, 0-1 MAC) fell to Toledo, 6-3, Friday afternoon at Scott Park. After rallying from a three-run deficit to tie the game at 3-3 in the third, Miami allowed single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings as its three-game winning streak was snapped.
After retiring Miami in order in the top of the first, Toledo put up three unearned runs in the bottom of the inning. Leadoff batter Drew Hoisington reached on an error and advanced to second, and after stealing third, he scored on a one-out RBI single. Toledo also added a two-out, two-run double from Ryan Laude, putting Miami in an early 3-0 hole.
Miami battled back to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the third as it plated three two-out runs. Junior Brandon Hillier (Hinsdale, Ill.) started the rally with a one-out single back through the middle, and after a groundout, junior Ryne Robinson (Toledo, Ohio) was hit by a pitch on a full count. The RedHawks then plated their first run off a RBI single from senior Jason Brown (Fairfield, Ohio), while a balk on Toledo starting pitcher Joe Welsh pushed across their second run. Miami capped its scoring with another RBI single, this time from senior Geoff Orr (Orland Park, Ill.), as he snuck a single through the left side that scored Brown from second.
Miami starting pitcher Keith Weiser (Hamilton, Ohio) retired 10 of the next 11 batters he faced after allowing Laude's first-inning double, but in the bottom of the fifth, Toledo moved ahead, 4-3, on a RBI fielder's choice. The damage could have been worse in the inning as the Rockets loaded the bases with no outs, but Wesier induced a pair of groundouts and a strikeout, limiting Toledo to its single run.
A two-out RBI single from Jake Oester in the sixth and a run-scoring single from Jason Watson in the seventh extended Toledo's lead to 6-3.
Toledo looked to tack on insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth as it loaded the bases with one out, but a foul out to the catcher and a spectacular catch by Robinson in leftfield kept Miami within three runs. Robinson tracked down a two-out line drive over his head that was destined for extra bases, holding onto the ball as he ran into the outfield wall.
The RedHawks put one runner on base in the ninth but could not bring the tying run to the plate.
Brown and Orr both finished 2-for-4 for Miami and each tallied a RBI. Wesier (2-2) took the loss, allowing three earned runs in 6.2 innings on the mound.
Miami plays game two of its three-game series against Toledo tomorrow at 1 p.m.
GAME NOTES: JRs Ryne Robinson and Brandon Hillier both extended their hitting streaks to five games ... The loss snapped Miami's season-long three-game winning streak.
