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Sophomore Chris Leonard (Columbus, Ohio/St. Francis DeSales) scattered seven hits over nine innings as Miami University's baseball team blanked Evansville 4-0 at Evansville's Aces' Diamond Classic Friday afternoon. The whitewash was Leonard's second-career shutout and his first since beating Marshall 8-0 on April 30, 2000.

Miami's offense handed Evansville starting pitcher Vince Serafini his first earned runs of the season when they pushed two across the plate in the third inning. Senior Scott Walti (Libertyville, Ill./North Central) and junior Jason Knoedler (Springfield, Ill./Springfield/Lincoln Land C.C.) collected Miami's only hits and runs of the inning, while seniors Brady Nori (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown) and Clark Mace (London, Ohio/Madison Plains) drove in the RedHawk runs.

That was all the offense Miami would need as Leonard cruised to his second victory of the season. Along the way he struck out six Purple Aces while walking only three and lowered his 2001 earned run average to an astounding 0.41.

Miami (3-3) added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth to ice the victory. Evansville (4-3) made an attempt at a comeback in the bottom half of the inning, but Leonard got out of a jam with runners on second and third to end the threat.

The RedHawks return to action Saturday at 11 a.m. versus local rival Dayton on Day Two of the Diamond Classic.