April 17, 2010
Box Score
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Western Michigan's Jimmy Martinez singled up the middle in the bottom of the ninth inning to score the game-winning run and hand the Miami University baseball team a tough, 11-10 loss Saturday afternoon at Hyames Field at Bobb Stadium.
The contest was the RedHawks' (15-19, 3-8 Mid-American Conference) fifth-straight one-run affair, the last three of which have resulted in defeat. The Broncos (9-24, 3-8 MAC) won Friday's series opener, 5-4.
Miami jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning as the first seven RedHawks who came to the plate reached base safely. Junior second baseman Jon Edgington (Cincinnati, Ohio) doubled to score junior right fielder Adam Eaton (Springfield, Ohio) while junior left fielder/first baseman Kyle Weldon (Mason, Ohio) singled in Edgington for the first two tallies. A hit by pitch and fielder's choice drove in the next two runs to finish the outburst.
The 'Hawks doubled their advantage in the fourth frame as a pair of Bronco errors aided another four-run spurt. Junior shortstop Ryan Kaup (Chandler, Ariz.) scampered home on a single by Eaton while a dropped fly ball by WMU right fielder Tim Cross and two sac flies put Miami on top, 8-0.
The Broncos got on the board in the fifth on an RBI single but the RedHawks matched the run in the next half inning to hold the eight-run lead. WMU then used four singles to score another pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth and added three more in the bottom of the seventh while Eaton smashed a solo shot in between.
With Miami holding a 10-6 advantage going into the bottom of the eighth, Western Michigan continued to chip away and leveled the score in the inning with four runs, as first baseman Chris Lewis scored the tying run on a single by outfielder Jack Scanlon. In the top of the ninth, Kaup led off with a double but a strikeout and a twin killing kept the score even. Shortstop Ryan McMillin then singled to start the bottom of the ninth, advanced to third base on two groundouts and gave the Broncos an 11-10, walk-off win when he crossed home on a single up the middle by Martinez.
The two sides combined for 32 hits, with Miami racking up 14 led by a 4-for-6 day from Eaton, including his team-leading seventh home run of the season, while scoring three times and driving in a pair of runs. Edgington had two hits, two runs and an RBI while Weldon and freshman first baseman Kevin Bower (Indianapolis, Ind.) also notched a pair of hits with a run and RBI each. Scanlon had four hits for WMU while Martinez had three and also scored twice and had two RBI.
Reliever Tim Mowry (2-0) earned the win, tossing a scoreless ninth frame while sophomore Jordan Jankowski (McMurray, Pa.) took the loss (2-3).
The two teams wrap up the three-game set Sunday at 1 p.m.
--MURedHawks.com--
