May 2, 2009
Final Stats
AKRON, Ohio--Sophomore Tyler Melling (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) pitched 8.0 innings, giving up just two runs and two hits to propel Miami University's baseball team (25-18; 13-7 Mid-American Conference) to a 3-2 win at the University of Akron (14-30; 8-12 MAC) on Saturday afternoon.
Melling gave up both hits, both runs all three of his walks in the opening inning and went on to throw seven hitless, scoreless innings en route to the RedHawk win to move to 5-1 on the season. Freshman Jordan Jankowski (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) came in to pitch the final inning, picking up his fifth save of the season.
Miami got on the board first when senior first baseman Tommy Nurre (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) drilled an RBI single through the left side to score senior third baseman Jordan Petraitis (Canal Fulton, Ohio/Manchester), giving Miami a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Akron's Kevin Haas hit a lead-off home run over the leftfield fence to knot the game, 1-1. The Zips to a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first when John Turk scored on a wild pitch.
Sophomore designated hitter Adam Weisenburger (Plymouth, Minn./Benilde St. Margaret's) doubled to right center and advanced to third on a wild pitch to start of the second inning for the RedHawks. Weisenburger crossed home when sophomore shortstop Brad Gschwind (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota West) grounded out, evening the score 2-2.
In the third inning, Petraitis doubled to right centerfield and advanced to third on a ground out, to put the go-ahead run in position. Senior catcher Eric Darlage (Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty) hammered an RBI single to plate Petraitis and give Miami a 3-2 advantage, which would end up being the game-winning run.
Neither team would score for the remainder of the game, although the Zips threatened in the bottom of the ninth, loading the bases. Miami, however, managed to remain unscathed in the ninth, getting the final out on a ground out to second baseman Jon Edgington (Cincinnati, Ohio/Wyoming).
Six different RedHawks accounted for Miami's six hits on the day. Petraitis recorded two of Miami's three runs. Akron was limited to just three hits on the afternoon.
Miami returns to action at 1 p.m. Sunday, facing the Zips in the final game of the three-game series.
