Miami University
2-3
Belmont
3-2
Miami Battles Back to Claim 16-14 Win over Belmont
2/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Miami University baseball team came out on top in a 16-14 back-and-forth slugfest against Belmont Saturday afternoon. The win improves Miami's record to 2-3 on the year. Ross Haffey led the way offensively, collecting a career-high six runs batted in.
The RedHawks wasted no time getting things going offensively. After a ground rule double by Steve Sada, a Ross Haffey single up the middle brought Sada around to score, giving Miami the early 1-0 lead.
Belmont battled back in the the bottom of the third, scoring on a two-run single, a dropped third strike and a sac fly to center field. After three frames, the Bruins held a 4-1 edge.
Not to be outdone, the Red & White fired back with a big fourth inning. After a leadoff single by Haffey, Gary Russo notched his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot. Then, after back-to-back base hits by Chad Sedio and Adam Yacek, Jake Romano grounded out to second, but Yacek was able to score from third. The next at bat, Julian Flanary turned on a pitch and drove it off the wall in right, allowing Sedio to score. Tyler Harris kept the scoring carousel going by doubling down the left field line and scoring Flanary. The final run of the inning came after a single to right by Sada brought Harris around to score. In total, the Red & White collected six runs on seven hits, giving them a 7-4 lead through three and a half.
Belmont cut into the Miami lead in the bottom half of the fourth, scoring on a wild pitch. The RedHawks' lead stood at 7-5 through the first four innings of play.
Miami padded their lead in the bottom of the sixth when back-to-back groundouts by Sada and Haffey allowed Flanary and Harris to score. Belmont answered by exploding for nine runs in the home half of the sixth. A bases loaded hit by pitch, three one-run singles and a three-run homer is what did the damage.
The RedHawks showed their resolve by answering back once again in their half of the seventh. After two quick outs, Hayden Senger belted his first career home run over the left center wall. After that, Romano collected a single, Flanary walked and Harris got hit by a pitch to chuck the bases. Then, Kyle Winkler worked a full count and eventually a walk, scoring Romano from third. The very next at bat, Haffey got ahold of one for his first career home run, a grand slam. That put the Red & White in front, 15-14.
Miami added an insurance run in the top of the ninth on a Russo single to left that scored Winkler. That was all the cushion Ryan Marske needed to come in and close things out for Miami. The big lefty came in with one down in the eighth and earned his second save of the season. Freshman Andy Almquist picked up the win for the 'Hawks, the first of his young career.
Miami wraps up the Mule Mix Classic on Sunday as they face-off against Middle Tennessee State at 2 p.m. ET.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Almquist, Andy (1-0)
L: ETHERIDGE, Connor (0-1)
S: Marske, Ryan (2)
Batting:
2B: Harris, Tyler 1 ; Sada, Steve 1 ; Russo, Gary 2 ; Yacek, Adam 1 ; Flanary, Julian 1
HR: Haffey, Ross 1 ; Russo, Gary 1 ; Senger, Hayden 1
RBI: Harris, Tyler 1 ; Sada, Steve 2 ; Winkler, Kyle 1 ; Haffey, Ross 6 ; Russo, Gary 3 ; Senger, Hayden 1 ; Romano, Jake 1 ; Flanary, Julian 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Harris, Tyler 3 ; Sada, Steve 1 ; Winkler, Kyle 2 ; Haffey, Ross 2 ; Russo, Gary 1 ; Yacek, Adam 1 ; Sedio, Chad 1 ; Senger, Hayden 1 ; Romano, Jake 1 ; Flanary, Julian 3
SB: Harris, Tyler 1 ; Sada, Steve 1 ; Sedio, Chad 1 ; Flanary, Julian 1
HBP: Harris, Tyler 1 ; Senger, Hayden 1
Batting:
2B: AMMONS, Desi 1 ; WASHINGTON, Brennan 1 ; PAYNE, Clay 1 ; WARD, Alex 1
HR: WALSH, Tyler 1
RBI: KOCHER, Ben 1 ; HOLLAND, Hunter 2 ; EGLI, Nick 1 ; AMMONS, Desi 3 ; WALSH, Tyler 3 ; BOURNIGAL, Rafael 1
SH: KOCHER, Ben 1 ; LANNAN, Zach 1
SF: AMMONS, Desi 1
Base Running:
RUNS: KOCHER, Ben 1 ; HOLLAND, Hunter 2 ; EGLI, Nick 1 ; AMMONS, Desi 1 ; WASHINGTON, Brennan 1 ; WALSH, Tyler 1 ; PAYNE, Clay 4 ; WARD, Alex 2 ; BOURNIGAL, Rafael 1
SB: EGLI, Nick 1 ; WARD, Alex 1
HBP: EGLI, Nick 1 ; WALSH, Tyler 1 ; WARD, Alex 2
