May 13, 2006
Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio - Behind a 3-for-4 day by senior Geoff Orr and 7.0 solid innings on the hill from Graham Taylor (Villa Hills, Ky.), the Miami University baseball team rebounded from a 7-4 loss earlier in the day and earned a doubleheader split with Ohio University as the RedHawks (26-23, 13-10 MAC) downed the Bobcats (20-23, 11-12 MAC), 11-5 on Saturday. The RedHawks banged out 15 hits, including six extra-base hits, while limiting the Bobcats to just eight safeties.
A two-run home run by Jordan Petraitis (Canal Fulton, Ohio) staked Miami to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second innings. After Jeff Carroll (Columbus, Ohio) worked Anthony Gressick for a walk to lead off the inning, Petraitis took a 1-0 offering and blasted it over the wall in left for his fourth round-tripper of the season.
The RedHawks added another run in the bottom of the fourth as Petraitis' double-play groundball to shortstop scored senior Geoff Orr (Orland Park, Ill.) from third. Orr led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on Carroll's single through the right side before crossing the plate for a 3-0 Miami lead.
Junior Brandon Hillier (Hinsdale, Ill.) made it 5-0 for Miami in the bottom of the fifth when he laced a double off the wall in centerfield that plated Eric Darlage (Powell, Ohio) and Evan Armitage (Milford, Ohio). Orr followed with a triple to right that brought Hillier across for a 6-0 Miami lead and chased Gressick from the game. Carroll greeted relief pitcher Zach Elmer with a line drive single to centerfield that scored Orr, making it 7-0 for the Red and White.
After the Bobcats put three runs on the board in the top of the sixth, Miami responded with a pair of runs in the seventh for a 9-3 lead. Armitage scored Miami's first run of the inning on a throwing error by the Ohio centerfielder before Chris Nadeau (Saline, Mich.) made it 9-3 with a groundout to shortstop that scored Hillier from third.
The Bobcats matched Miami's two-run seventh with a pair of their own in the eighth to make the score 9-5. Miami starting pitcher Graham Taylor (Villa Hills, Ky.) allowed the first three batters of the inning to reach base, one of which scored, before he was relieved by senior Matt Long (Granville, Ohio) with runners on first and second. Long allowed the first batter he faced to single before three consecutive groundballs ended the inning and limited the Bobcats to just one more run, which cut Miami's lead to 9-5.
Orr gave Miami an 11-5 lead in the bottom of the eighth as he stroked a two-out double down the line in left that scored Darlage and Armitage.
Long tossed 2.0 innings of relief to preserve the victory for Taylor, who improved to 6-5 on the year. Gressick was tagged with the loss and dropped to 4-1.
Miami remains two games in front of Ohio in the race for second place in the MAC East division and an automatic bid into the 2006 MAC Tournament. The top two teams from each division, along with the next two best conference winning percentages advance to the six-team tournament.
The RedHawks and Bobcats play the rubber match of the three-game series on Sunday with the first pitch slated for 1 p.m. Prior to the game, Miami's eight seniors will be honored on the field as they play the final home games of their careers.
NOTES: Orr finished the game 3-for-4 with three RBI ... Carroll went 3-for-4 ... Hillier and Petraitis both drove in two runs.
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