Miami Ohio University Athletics
Offense Leads RedHawks Over Rockets, 31-5
5/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
TOLEDO, Ohio – At a time of year when conference wins are at a premium, the RedHawks (12-35, 10-12 MAC) earned an impressive 31-5 victory over Toledo Friday at Scott Park. Perhaps just as impressive, freshman Spencer Dull hit for the cycle.
The first inning saw the RedHawks reach base in their first eight at-bats. Miami plated five runs in the inning. The first two came in the third at-bat of the frame when Matt Honchel doubled to right center, scoring Ryan Elble and Jake Romano. Honchel would later score on a wild pitch. After Adam Yacek and Max Andresen reached base safely, a Steve Sada fielder’s choice allowed Yacek to score. That was followed by back-to-back singles by Spencer Dull and Jacob Wolf, the latter of which allowed Miami to score their fifth run of the inning.
The Rockets responded in the bottom of the first with three runs of their own. A two-run single and a one-run double cut the Miami lead to 5-3 through one inning of play.
In the top of the second, the RedHawks picked up right where they left off. Sada got the scoring started by earning a bases-loaded walk. The next at-bat, Dull ripped a double to left center, scoring Andresen and Kendall Johnson. Then, Wolf earned a sac fly that scored Sada. Three batters later, Romano scorched a single through the right side, scoring Dull and Slappey. Honchel capped off the scoring with a three-run home run that went well over the right field wall. The RedHawks took a 14-3 lead into the bottom half of the third. Unlike the last inning, Toledo came up empty in their at-bat.
The RedHawks’ momentum carried into the top of third. Andresen led off the inning with a solo homer to right center field. Later in the inning, Scott Slappey belted a three-run homer over the left field wall. The final two runs of the inning came on a Honchel fielder’s choice and a wild pitch. The RedHawks’ lead stood at 20-3 through two and a half innings played.
Miami tacked on one run in both the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, Dull collected his second homer of the season. In the fifth, Sada singled up the middle to score Honchel.
The RedHawks extended their lead further in the top of the seventh. A Dull triple to left center scored two. Then, in the top of the eighth, the Red & White pushed across seven more runs. Julian Flanary and Johnson got it started with back-to-back one-run singles. Later in the inning, Dull earned a bases-loaded walk, which was followed up by Johnson scoring on a wild pitch. Two batters later, with the bases loaded again, Slappey got hit by a pitch, scoring a run. Elble put an exclamation point on the inning with a two-run double to left center. The RedHawks held a 31-3 lead through seven and a half innings of play.
Toledo plated two in the bottom of the ninth on a one-run triple and a one-run single, bringing the score to 31-5.
Not to be lost in Friday’s offensive outburst, Miami starting pitcher Gus Graham (W, 1-3) threw a well-pitched game for the RedHawks. He tossed a solid seven innings, allowing just four hits and three earned runs. He also struck out three. The victory is the first of Graham’s young Miami career.
With 31 runs scored Friday, it is the most since 2005 when Miami scored 35 against Quinnipiac. The RedHawks brought nine or more hitters to the plate in a single inning on four occasions. In addition, nine RedHawks had two or more hits. As a team, over their last three MAC games, the 'Hawks have combined for 61 runs and a .455 batting average.
Miami returns to action tomorrow as they look for the series win over Toledo. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.
