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April 19, 2002
OXFORD, Ohio - With a 7-3 deficit staring the Miami University (17-16, 4-5 Mid-American) baseball team in the face, the RedHawks chipped away in the final three innings to defeat the visiting Buffalo (9-14, 2-7 MAC) Bulls 9-8 on Friday afternoon at McKie Field at Hayden Park. Senior Russ Bayer (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) improved his record to a team-best 6-1 despite allowing seven earned runs in eight innings of work.
The Bulls jumped on top early in the contest with two runs in each the first and second stanzas. A lead-off single by Joe Mihalics followed by a walk permitted catcher Brandon DiCesare to belt a one-run single to right-center field, scoring Mihalics. After a Bayer strike out, Eric Huber singled home Buffalo's second run of the frame. In the second inning Buffalo put its lead off batter on with a base on balls, and Adrian Daniels drove the runner home with a triple to right-center field. Daniels later scored on a sacrifice fly to give the Bulls a 4-0 advantage.
Junior Michael Carlin (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) started the second inning for the RedHawks with a walk, and advanced to second base on a passed ball. A triple off the bat of sophomore Ryan Edginton (Chester Springs, Pa./Arizona State), his first of the season, drove Carlin home cutting the deficit to 4-1. Miami's next batter, junior Andi Scheidt (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle), singled home Edginton for the RedHawks second run of the frame.
Miami crept to within one run, 4-3, in the fourth inning when Edginton led off with a single to get things rolling. Scheidt followed with a single to left-center field advancing Edginton to third base. Freshman Brian Canada (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) hit a long sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Edginton, to make it a 4-3 contest. Buffalo hurler Tyler Balentine squelched the rally retiring the next three batters after a single by junior Zach Schmidt (Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas).
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The lead was increased to 7-3 in the fifth inning when Buffalo plated three more runs. The Bulls rally was capped when Daniels smacked a one-run single to center field recording his second RBI of the contest.
Another Miami run in the sixth inning cut the Buffalo lead to 7-4, but it was the seventh inning that the RedHawks really did some damage. After the first two Miami batters recorded outs freshman Paul Frietch (Montgomery, Ohio/Moeller) kept the inning alive with a single. Frietch trotted over to the second bag on a wild pitch and then was hit home by an Edginton single. Scheidt was plunked by a pitch to put runners on first and second, and pinch-hitter junior Adam Moos (Medina, Ohio/Medina) loaded the bases when he drew a base on balls. Buffalo's next move was a change on the hill, bringing in Anthony Puccia, and Miami countered by delivering pinch-hitter extraordinaire sophomore Josh Widlansky (Coral Springs, Fla./Travella) to the plate. Widlansky took the first pitch he saw from Puccia and pulled it through the left side to score two runs, tying the game 7-7. Miami took over the lead 8-7 when Edginton stole home as Widlansky drew himself into a rundown between first and second base.
The Red and White added one insurance run in the eight frame increasing its lead to 9-7. The insurance run turned out to be a crucial one as Buffalo scored one run in the ninth inning off Miami reliever junior Adam Keel (Fairfield, Ohio/Fairfield). Keel didn't allow anymore Bulls to cross the plate as he recorded his first save of the season. Bayer registered the win to bring his career total to 27 moving him into a tie for second on Miami's all-time win list with 27. Credited with loss for Buffalo was Balentine who falls to 2-2 on the year.
Miami and Buffalo continue the weekend series tomorrow, Saturday, April 20, at 1 p.m. with a doubleheader. The two teams will conclude the series on Sunday with a single game at 1 p.m.
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