Zach MacDonald
Will Corey
17
Winner Miami MIAMI 2-5
13
Middle Tennessee MTSU 3-4
Winner
Miami MIAMI
2-5
17
Final
13
Middle Tennessee MTSU
3-4
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Miami MIAMI 1 0 5 2 0 2 4 3 0 17 15 1
Middle Tennessee MTSU 1 1 0 0 0 3 4 3 1 13 17 1

W: Vardavas, Nick (1-0) L: B. Beranek (0-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Miami Out-Slugs Middle Tennessee 17-13

MURFREESBORO, Tenn.— The Miami University baseball team out-slugged Middle Tennessee 17-13 Sunday afternoon to claim a weekend non-conference series victory. Zach MacDonald homered twice, with Ryland Zaborowski and Ryan Novak each adding a home run for the RedHawks. Miami improves to 2-5, while MTSU falls to 3-4.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • The RedHawks started the scoring in the top of the first inning, as leadoff hitter Ty Batusich was hit by a pitch and came around to score on an Anthony Zarlingo sac fly.
  • Middle Tennessee took a 2-1 lead after scoring one run in each of the first two frames.
  • Miami went on top for good with a five-run third inning. Three straight singles by MacDonald, Zaborowski and David Novak knotted the score at 2-2 and forced a Blue Raider pitching change. After Zarlingo walked, Tré Keels drove in a run with a fly out to center. Ryan Novak came through with a two-out, three-run homer to give Miami a 6-2 lead.
  • MacDonald made it 8-2 in the fourth with a two-run blast to center after Batusich's one-out single.
  • In the top of the sixth, it was Zaborowski's turn to leave the yard. He ripped a two-run shot to right-center to make it 10-2, scoring Batusich, who had led off the inning with a base hit.
  • MTSU responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to make it 10-5.
  • The RedHawks tacked on four more in the top of the seventh, as Ryan Novak drew a base on balls and Dillon Baker brought him around with an RBI double. After Batusich walked with two outs, MacDonald hit a three-run homer to right to stretch the lead to 14-5.
  • Middle Tennessee wouldn't go away, using an RBI triple and a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to pull within 14-9.
  • The Red and White added three insurance runs in the eighth. Baker's sac fly and an MTSU throwing error put Miami up 16-8, and Tyler Gordon capped the visitors' scoring with a two-out RBI single to right field.
  • The Blue Raiders put up three runs in the eighth and grabbed one more in the ninth, but the RedHawks closed out a 17-13 victory.

NOTES
  • MacDonald went 3-for-5 and drove in a game-high five runs.
  • Batusich, Zaborowski, David Novak and Ryan Novak also had multi-hit games.
  • Batusich scored four runs in the game.
  • Seven RedHawks had at least one run batted in.
  • Five different Miami players reached base after being hit by a pitch.
  • Starting pitcher Nick Vardavas allowed two runs in five innings of work to earn the win.
  • The last time the RedHawks had scored at least 17 runs in a game was a 21-2 win at Eastern Michigan on April 8, 2023.
 
UP NEXT:
Miami hosts Wright State for the 2024 home opener on Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 3 p.m. in Oxford.
 
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