RedHawks Use Big Innings to Top Redbirds, 8-7

Saturday, March 4

Oxford, Ohio

3:00 PM

Miami University

1-7

Illinois State

2-5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Illinois State	0	1	3	2	0	0	1	0	0	7	7	1
Miami (OH)	0	4	4	0	0	0	0	0	X	8	10	6

RedHawks Use Big Innings to Top Redbirds, 8-7

3/4/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 4, 2017

Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML)

OXFORD, Ohio - The RedHawk baseball team opened up their brand new turf field with an 8-7 victory over Illinois State on Saturday. Four-run innings in the second and third helped Miami (1-7) sneak past the Redbirds (2-5) at McKie Field.

Reliever Gus Graham picked up the win for the Red & White, moving his record to 1-0 on the season, while Nick Ernst tossed the final 2.2 innings to collect his first save of the 2017 campaign. Jack Landwehr took the loss for the Redbirds and dropped to 0-1 on the year.

Illinois State got on the board first in the top of the second on a bases-loaded hit by pitch. However, MU would respond with a four-run home half of the frame. With runners on the corners, Steve Sada singled to right to plate Adam Yacek and knot the game at one apiece. Following a Dallas Hall walk, Hayden Senger hit a base knock to left, scoring both Sada and Carlos Texidor. The inning's scoring was capped off with a wild pitch that allowed Hall to hustle home and score. After two innings of action, the RedHawks had a 4-1 lead.

The Redbirds answered in the top of the third, evening the game by plating three runs on back-to-back RBI singles and a dropped fly ball. The Red & White were able to retaliate with another big frame, this time with some small ball. After a Brooks Urich single up the middle scored J.T. Stone to give Miami the lead back, two-straight bunt singles tacked on two more runs as Yacek and Urich were able to come around and touch home. A Hall infield single to the third baseman scored Texidor and gave the 'Hawks an 8-4 lead through three frames of play.

Illinois State narrowed its deficit to 8-6 in the away half of the fourth with a sacrifice fly and another MU miscue in the outfield. A one-run single brought the Redbirds to within one in the seventh inning but Ernst came on and shut down any chance of an ISU comeback.

The same two teams close the series on Sunday with a doubleheader beginning at noon. Zach Spears and Brad Schwartz are scheduled to take the mound for the RedHawks.