March 30, 2002

Box Score

OXFORD, Ohio - The Miami University (12-7) baseball team upped its winning streak to four games by sweeping a doubleheader Sunday afternoon at McKie Field at Hayden Park against Georgia State (14-13). A walk-off pinch-hit grand slam by sophomore Josh Widlansky (Coral Springs, Fla./Travella) wins the first game for the RedHawks 10-6, while senior Russ Bayer (Naperville, Ind./Naperville North) won his fourth game of the season, 2-1, in the nightcap with a career-high nine strikeouts.

The early contest started with the visiting Panthers taking an early 1-0 leading the first inning off junior southpaw Chris Leonard (Columbus, Ohio/St. Francis DeSales). After a lead-off single, Leonard got Kyle Breitbach to ground into the 4-3 double play. However, Dustin Phillips took Leonard's 0-1 pitch over the left-center field wall for his fifth dinger of the season.

While Leonard locked into his normal game, the RedHawks put together two strong innings in the second and third frames for their ace. A three-run second began with junior Michael Carlin (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) tripling to right field, followed by a junior David Cook (Columbus, Ohio/St. Francis DeSales) RBI single to center field. Two batters later freshman Tyler Tabler (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller) reached first when the left fielder failed to catch a routine fly ball, advancing Cook to second. Georgia State's starter, David Hawkins, walked the next batter, and then allowed Cook to score from third when junior George Stegmiller (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) hit a sacrifice fly to center field. Miami scored its third run of the frame on an RBI single from junior Andi Scheidt (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle). Miami extended its lead to 5-1 in the third inning when Carlin walloped his sixth home run of the season, scoring Galloway.

Georgia State mounted a comeback with one run in the fourth, and then exploded for three more in the sixth frame off Leonard. Allowing nothing more than a single in the frame, Leonard escaped further harm by striking out his ninth batter of the game to exit the inning.

With the game tied at 5-5, the Panthers scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning by when Dustin Phillips led off with a single off Miami reliever senior Shawn Landis (Pleasant Hill, Ohio). Phillips proceeded to third on the very next pitch when he stole second base and turned the corner on a throwing error by the RedHawk catcher. Senior Billy Kieninger (Xenia, Ohio/Xenia) struck out the next batter in relief of Landis, but allowed the go-ahead run to score on a wild pitch.

The stage was now set for the RedHawks with three outs remaining in the contest and facing a 6-5 deficit. Miami quickly loaded the bases with only one out showing on the scoreboard. Cook singled home the tying run with an RBI single to third base that ricocheted off GSU's third baseman. As GSU's coach brought in a relief pitcher, head coach Tracy Smith matched the change by bringing in pinch-hitter Josh Widlansky. On the very next pitch Widlansky stole the show and made his skipper a genius by belting a walk-off grand slam deep over the center field wall. His first career grand slam gave the RedHawks a 10-6 victory and was the first pinch-hit, and grand slam in McKie Field history.

The next game, while equally exciting, featured a pitching duel between Miami senior Russ Bayer and the Panthers Ronnie Robinson. Through the first seven innings Bayer struck out a career-high nine batters and allowed seven hits. His counter part on the mound, Robinson, turned around eight RedHawk batters before running into trouble in the seventh frame.

Miami took a crucial 2-0 lead in the seventh after putting up zeros on the scoreboard through the first six innings. Freshman Brian Canada (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) took a 1-0 pitch up the middle for a single to lead off the frame. Stegmiller laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, his second of the game, to advance the pinch runner Scheidt to second base. The next batter flew out to center field for the second out, but freshman Sam Sellery (Carmel, Ind./Cathedral) came through in the clutch with a double to score Canada, and give the RedHawks a 1-0 lead. With GSU's starter rattled, Galloway led Sellery homeward with a triple to right-center field giving the Red and White a 2-0 advantage.

The Panthers scraped for one run in the eighth stanza but were unable to put the bat on the ball with much authority as Miami closer Kieninger recorded his first save of the season. Kieninger recorded the final six outs of the contest, striking out four Georgia State batters.

Miami and Georgia State wrap up the weekend series tomorrow afternoon, Sunday, March 31, at 1 p.m. The RedHawks conclude their homestand on Tuesday, April 2, when they host rival Cincinnati at 3 p.m..

- www.MURedHawks.com -

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