OXFORD, OHIO (March 21) -- Miami's baseball team continued its hot streak Tuesday (March 21), defeating Butler University 7-3 at Stanley G. McKie Field. The win was the RedHawks' eighth in their past nine games. Miami now leads the overall series with the Bulldogs 13-4.

Junior hurler Nate Tekavec (Concord, Ohio/Riverside) earned the victory, throwing his third consecutive complete game. Tekavec (3-2) gave up six hits, three runs, two of which were earned, and struck out eight Bulldogs while walking only two. Lowering his ERA to 1.96 in the victory, Tekavec is now ninth on Miami's career pitching list with 21 wins.

Butler opened the scoring in the top of the second inning, but junior John Lackaff (Downers Grove, Ill./North) knotted the score at 1-1 with a towering shot over the left field fence. Lackaff, who is leading the 'Hawks in home runs with five, went 2-for-4 on the afternoon.

Trailing 2-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, Miami plated two runs to take the lead for good. After juniors Tom Yost (London, Ohio/Jonathan Alder) and Jeremy Ison (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) reached base, sophomore George Stegmiller (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington) drove in Yost on a sacrifice fly and freshman Zach Schmidt (Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas) singled home Ison.

Miami broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth inning with four runs and five hits. In the inning, Stegmiller picked up his second RBI of the game on a single and senior Joe Spain (Warren, Ohio/Howland) doubled in a run.

Paul Neshek (0-2) took the loss for Butler, pitching five innings, surrendering three runs. Neshek struck out six RedHawks and walked only one. Three Bulldog hitters, Jeff Steele, Ryan Lundervold and Eddie Olszta, tallied two hits apiece.

Miami continues its homestand tomorrow, hosting area-rival Xavier at 3 p.m. Butler returns home tomorrow to take on Indiana Tech. Game time is also set for 3 p.m.