April 2, 2006
Box Score
MUNCIE, Ind. - Despite a strong pitching performance by senior Sam Shorts, the Miami University baseball team managed just six hits and fell 4-2 to Ball State on Sunday afternoon. The Cardinals (14-11, 5-1 MAC) put two runs on the board in the bottom of the seventh inning to seal the victory and complete the series sweep of the RedHawks (9-14, 1-5 MAC).
Three consecutive singles and a sacrifice fly to start the Miami half of the second inning gave the RedHawks the first lead of the game as senior Will Reynolds (Brownsburg, Ind.) lofted a sacrifice fly to center field that scored freshman Chris Nadeau (Saline, Mich.) from third.
Ball State loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the third inning and Brad Miller gave the Cardinals a 2-1 edge when he laced a two-RBI single down the left field line off Miami starter Sam Shorts (Lombard, Ill.).
A single to right field by Reynolds with Nadeau on second base evened the score, 2-2, in the top of the seventh inning. Nadeau led off the inning with a single to left and advanced to second on a ground ball to the left side by senior Jon Franzese (Barrington, Ill.) before scampering home on Reynolds line drive through the right side.
After allowing a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh and recording an out on a sacrifice bunt, Shorts was lifted in favor of junior Jeff Day (West Chester, Ohio). Shorts was extremely effective in his 6.1 innings of work, allowing just eight hits and walking just one batter, while striking out two.
The first batter Day faced, Matt Singleton, fisted his first offering into shallow left centerfield, plating the go-ahead run in the form of pinch-runner Nate Fields. The next batter of the inning was hit by a pitch before C.J. Webb laced a double to left making it 4-2 for the Cardinals and prompting Miami to summon senior Matt Long (Granville, Ohio) from the bullpen. Long intentionally walked the first batter he faced but proceeded to strikeout the next batter on four pitches and induce a lazy fly ball to left to stymie the Cardinal rally and leave the bases loaded.
Shorts was tagged with the loss, dropping to 1-1 on the year, while Ball State reliever Kory Bucklew picked up the win and moved to 3-0 on the year.
Miami returns to action on Wednesday when it travels to Columbus, Ohio, to face the Ohio State Buckeyes.
