April 6, 2010
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
CINCINNATI - After being swept over the weekend, the Miami University baseball team responded by jumping ahead of Xavier early and using nine different arms to hold the Musketeers in check en route to a 5-3 victory Tuesday afternoon at sun-drenched and windy Hayden Field. The RedHawks (12-15) are now 3-0 against teams from the Atlantic 10 conference in 2010, also defeating Dayton and Rhode Island earlier this season.
Miami's pitching staff answered the call after a shaky outing Sunday at Ball State by firing five strikeouts to just two walks with no wild pitches, as nine hurlers limited Xavier (7-21) to just three runs. Sophomore starter Lance Kingrey (Hilliard, Ohio) picked up his first win of the season (1-0) for the RedHawks, tossing one inning with one hit allowed, a strikeout and a walk. Musketeer starter Nate Mutsch (0-4) took the loss, surrendering three runs on four hits in 2.2 innings of work.
"It's a positive, especially going into a MAC weekend, to see our pitchers bounce back (from last weekend) and show some resiliency," said Miami junior catcher and co-captain Adam Weisenburger. "Hopefully they'll be successful this weekend."
Junior second baseman Jon Edgington (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Weisenburger (Plymouth, Minn.) led Miami's offense, as Edgington belted a pair of doubles and notched two RBI while Weisenburger also had a pair of hits and RBI each while scoring a run, as well. Junior shortstop Ryan Kaup (Chandler, Ariz.) finished with two base knocks as well and an RBI. First Baseman Zac Richard led the Muskies at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a two-bagger. The RedHawks were out-hit, 10-9, earning just their second win in 17 tries when being out-hit this season.
Miami grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI single through the right side by Kaup that plated Weisenburger and made it 3-0 in the third on a two-RBI single to right field from Weisenburger. A sac fly by Xavier's Ben Thomas in the bottom of the third scored the Musketeers' first tally to make it a two-run contest.
Edgington then smacked a two-RBI ground-rule double over the centerfield wall in the fourth to give the 'Hawks a 5-1 cushion, which is where it stayed until the bottom of the seventh inning. Xavier led off the frame with three straight hits, the third of which was an RBI single by catcher Ryan Bellamy, while a ground out brought home another run for the Musketeers, closing the gap to two at 5-3.
Xavier brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the eighth with two outs, but sophomore reliever Jordan Jankowski (McMurray, Pa.), who also started as the designated hitter, took the mound and forced a fielder's choice to get out of the two-on, two-out jam and keep Miami's lead at two. After a leadoff walk to start the bottom of the ninth, Jankowski secured the win by forcing a flyout and inducing a double play, Miami's third of the day, for the final two outs to give the RedHawks the 5-3 victory. Jankowski collected his fifth save of 2010 by doing so, which matches his season total from his freshman campaign, as he threw the final 1.1 innings without allowing a hit.
The two local rivals will square off two more times in 2010--Tuesday, April 13 in the Joe Nuxhall Classic and Wednesday, April 21--with both games being played in Oxford.
Miami now returns home to start a five-game home stand as the RedHawks resume league play by welcoming Mid-American Conference West Division foe Northern Illinois for a three-game series. Action begins Friday at 6 p.m. while Saturday's first pitch is set for 2 p.m. and Sunday's finale starts at 1 p.m.
--MURedHawks.com--
