May 1, 2010

Box Score

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Miami University baseball team closed a six-run deficit to within one but was unable to complete the comeback, as Bowling Green held off the RedHawks late for a 7-6 win Saturday afternoon at Steller Field. The Falcons (21-18-1, 11-6 Mid-American Conference) have now won 11 straight games, including a defeat of Miami (20-22, 7-10 MAC) in Friday's series opener.

The RedHawks, who stranded 11 runners on base, were out-hit 13-10 but received strong production from junior center fielder Adam Eaton (Springfield, Ohio), who went 3-for-3 at the plate with a pair of doubles, two walks, two stolen bases and three runs scored. Sophomore designated hitter Jordan Jankowski (McMurray, Pa.) also notched two doubles with a pair of RBI and runs scored each while freshman first baseman Kevin Bower (Indianapolis, Ind.) had a pair of hits and two RBI, also. Eaton and Jankowski each extended their hitting streaks to nine games, as well, in the process. Miami was unable to take advantage of five walks and two hit batsmen issued by Bowling Green starter Michael Frank early however, which led to the early deficit.

Center fielder T.J. Blanton paced BGSU, going 3-for-5 with two RBI and a pair of stolen bases while third baseman Derek Spencer tallied two hits (a double and a home run) while driving in two and scoring a pair of runs.

Miami looked to jump on the Falcons early, as a leadoff double by Eaton, a walk and a double steal put men at second and third with no outs to start the contest, but Frank struck out the next two RedHawks while a groundout ended any hopes of an early lead. BGSU took a 1-0 lead in the second on doubles by shortstop Jon Berti and designated hitter Matthew Pitzulo. The Falcons then made it 4-0 in third with a two-out, two-run blast to left-center by Spencer while right fielder Mark Galvin followed with a solo shot to right.

A two-out, two RBI bloop single by Blanton in the fourth added to BGSU's cushion, making it a six-run advantage. Miami finally dented the scoreboard in the top of the fifth, using a two-out rally to score four runs, as the RedHawks batted around. Jankowski doubled in Eaton for the first run while Bower singled to right to drive in Jankowski and junior shortstop Ryan Kaup (Chandler, Ariz.) slapped a two-RBI single to right to finish the outburst, cutting the gap to two at 6-4. Miami had the bases loaded later in the frame but a sharp grounder ricocheted off the pitcher's leg right to first base to end the threat of more runs.

After Bowling Green pushed a run across in the bottom of the fifth, the 'Hawks went back to work in the sixth, using another two-out spurt to get within one. Eaton led off with a double and after two quick outs, Jankowski smashed a double off the wall in center to plate Eaton while an RBI single by Bower closed the score to 7-6.

With Falcons on first and second and one out in the bottom of the eighth, Jankowski took the mound in relief and struck out the next two batters to keep the deficit at one, but closer Patrick O'Brien put Miami down in order in the ninth to hand the 'Hawks a tough, 7-6 defeat.

Charles Wooten (1-2) picked up the win for Bowling Green, allowing two runs on six hits with four punch-outs in 3.1 innings of relief while Miami starter Brooks Fiala (Carmel, Ind.) suffered the loss (2-3), giving up six runs on eight hits in four innings of work with a pair of strikeouts. O'Brien collected his third save of the season with a perfect ninth inning, including two strikeouts. Junior reliever Sam Dawes (Cincinnati, Ohio) moved into a tie for second on Miami's career pitching appearances list with 76 on Saturday as well, allowing a run in 3.1 innings.

The two sides wrap up their three-game series Sunday at 1 p.m. at Steller Field.

--MURedHawks.com--