MURRAY, Ky. – The Miami University baseball team split its series opening doubleheader with Murray State on Sunday. The RedHawks pounded out 16 hits as they cruised to a 14-4 victory in the opener. The Racers overcame a three-run deficit to take a 7-5 win in the nightcap. Miami is now 3-3 on the season, while Murray State is 2-4.
GAME 1
Behind a solid six inning performance from senior pitcher
Bailey Martin, the RedHawks cruised to a game one victory. Martin allowed two runs on six hits. He struck out a career-high 10. Freshman pitcher
Tyler Bosma earned the save by pitching the final three innings. He struck out seven.
Miami got things going immediately in the top of the first with three runs. Sophomore centerfielder
Cristian Tejada led off with a double. Junior third baseman
Landon Stephens drew a walk. Junior first baseman
Charlie Harrigan doubled to score Tejada and get the RedHawks on the board. Sophomore right fielder
Parker Massman followed with a single to score Stephens. Junior catcher
Cal Elvers made it 3-0 with a single to left field that scored Harrigan.
Murray State got one back in the bottom of the first, but freshman designated hitter
Cole Andrews answered it with a leadoff home run to center field in the top of the second, the first homer of his collegiate career. Later in the inning,
Landon Stephens would score off a steal of third and an error by the Racers' third baseman.
In the top of the fourth, a single by Tejada brought home Andrews and made it 6-1.
The RedHawks broke the game wide open in the top of the fifth with four more runs. With one out, Elvers drew a walk. Redshirt junior left fielder
Kyle Winkler hit an infield single to third base. Andrews then hit his second home run of the day, a three-run blast again over the centerfield wall. Later in the inning,
Landon Stephens hit a sac fly to score
Jordan Stephens and make it 10-1.
In the top of the sixth, Winkler hit a two-run home run to right field, also scoring Elvers and giving Miami a 12-1 advantage.
Murray State got solo home runs in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings to cut the lead to 12-3, but the RedHawks got the two runs back in the top of the ninth when junior shortstop
Will Vogelgesang singled home Tejada and Harrigan to make it 14-3. The Racers hit one final solo home run in the bottom of the ninth to complete the scoring.
Andrews finished the game 4-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored. Winkler was 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Tejada,
Landon Stephens, Harrigan and Elvers each also scored two runs for Miami.
GAME 2
The nightcap remained scoreless until the top of the fifth inning. With one out, Winkler drew a walk. With two outs, he stole second. That allowed sophomore catcher
Nate Stolze's single to right field score him and put Miami on the board.
Meanwhile freshman pitcher
Sam Bachman was nearly unhittable during the first five innings of work. He allowed only one hit and four total base runners, while striking out seven.
Tejada led the top of the sixth off with a walk, and advanced to third on two wild pitches. Stephens was walked, while Harrigan was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A single from Andrews brought home Tejada, while the shortstop misplayed the relay throw, allowing Stephens to score and make it 3-0.
The Racers led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run. That seemed to get their bats going, as a couple more hits and a balk brought home two more runs and tied the score at three.
The RedHawks regained the advantage at 4-3 in the top of the seventh when Tejada scored on a balk.
Murray State took its first lead of the day in the bottom of the seventh with a two out single that scored two. In the bottom of the eighth it scored two runs on a sac fly to build a 7-4 advantage.
Miami did not give up in the top of the ninth. Stolze led off by being hit by a pitch. Redshirt freshman
Reid Norberg and Tejada followed by drawing walks to load the bases with no one out. After the Racers got a strikeout, Harrigan's fielder's choice groundout allowed Stolze to score and make it 7-5. Unfortunately that would be all the 'Hawks could get as Murray State recorded the final out to secure the victory.
Harrigan and Andrews each had an RBI in the nightcap, while Tejada was 1-for-4 with two runs scored.
Miami concludes its series against Murray State on Monday with a single game. First pitch is at 1 p.m. (EST).
