March 21, 2010

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - For the second time in 2010, the Miami University baseball team had a game shortened by rain, however the RedHawks were on the wrong end of the score Sunday, as Jacksonville State picked up a 2-0 win at Rudy Abbott Field after the contest was called in the middle of the fifth inning. Miami (8-9) defeated Rhode Island 4-3 in six innings on March 11 in Florida after downpours halted the game.

With the win, the Gamecocks (9-10) evened the all-time series with the ’Hawks at 2-2, after the two sides split a doubleheader Saturday. Miami won the first-ever meeting with Jax State a year ago.

The Gamecocks plated the game’s only runs, both unearned, in the third inning to take the 2-0 lead, as JSU loaded the bases with no outs but freshman hurler Mac Thoreson (Knoxville, Tenn.) kept the damage to a minimum, despite an error that allowed the first run to score, forcing a double play and earning a strikeout.

Miami had managed just one hit in the first five innings, a single by sophomore designated hitter Jordan Jankowski (McMurray, Pa.) in the second frame, but went down in order in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Then the skies opened and after sitting through a two-hour rain delay, umpires decided to call the game after standing water on the field made the surface unsafe and unplayable. Since it was an official game by rule, with the visiting team having batted in the fifth inning, JSU collected the 2-0 victory.

Jacksonville State finished with four hits off of Thoreson (1-1), who took the loss after working all four innings while allowing just the two unearned runs with three strikeouts. Austin Lucas (1-0) earned the win for the Gamecocks, conceding just one hit in five innings pitched with a walk and two strikeouts.

The RedHawks return to the diamond Tuesday, March 23 for a 3 p.m. ET contest at another Ohio Valley Conference school -- Eastern Kentucky -– before hosting the Colonels on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at McKie Field at Hayden Park.