Ball State University
5-19, 3-2
Miami
13-13, 4-1
Baseball Falls At Miami, 11-8
April 02, 2011 | Baseball
OXFORD, Ohio - The Ball State baseball team overcame an early five-run deficit to tie the game but could not take the lead late in the contest as the Cardinals dropped an 11-8 contest to Mid-American Conference East Division leader Miami Saturday afternoon at McKie Field. The loss evens the three-game series and the two teams will play the rubber game Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. to determine the series victor.
Junior center fielder Cody Elliott (Florence, Ky./Beechwood) drove in a career-high five runs in the loss as he tallied two hits. Elliott connected on a fifth inning grand slam and posted a run-scoring triple in the ninth inning in the loss.
Miami (13-13, 4-1 MAC) struck first against senior left-hander Derek Grabner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Lincoln Trail) in the bottom of the second inning. Brooks Fiala led off the inning with a single up the middle and moved to third as Kyle Weldon single through the right side. Ryan Curl drove in the game's first run as he lifted a sacrifice fly to deep center field plating Fiala for the 1-0 Miami lead. Grabner was able to work out of the inning without any additional damage as he stranded two on base with a fly ball and a strike out.
Miami extended the lead to 4-0 as it tallied three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Grabner led off the inning with a walk to Ryan Kaup before Bryce Redeker ripped a run-scoring double down the left field line. After a single by Adam Weisenberger put runners on the corners, Weldon lifted a sacrifice fly to center field and Curl dropped a double down the right field line to score two more runs.
The RedHawks chased Grabner from the game in the fourth inning as Ryan Brenner reached on an infield single with one out. After a walk to Kaup ended Grabner's day, the RedHawks moved up 90 feet on a deep fly ball before freshman left-hander Nestor Bautista (New York, N.Y./George Washington) uncorked a wild pitch allowing Brenner to score Miami's fifth run of the afternoon.
Ball State (5-19, 3-2 MAC) broke out in the top of the fifth inning against Miami left-hander Tyler Melling. Sophomore right fielder Blake Beemer (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) led off the inning with a double down the right field line while junior Tim Issler (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Xavier) followed with a single to right field to put runners at the corners.
Sophomore catcher Kevin Franchetti (Highland, Ind./Andrean) drove in the Cardinals' first run as he ripped a single into left center field. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, Melling issued a walk to senior shortstop T.J. Baumet (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) to load the bases.
Elliott quickly tied the game as he crushed a full count pitch over the left field wall for a grand slam to tie the game at 5-5. Elliott's grand slam is the Cardinals first this season and the first since April 10, 2010 when Ian Nielsen accomplished the feat at Bowling Green.
Miami came right back in the bottom half of the fifth inning to re-take the lead. Weldon connected on his team-leading fifth home run of the season just over the right field wall against Bautista to make it a 6-5 contest.
The Cardinals answered right back in the top of the sixth inning against Miami reliever Joe Neff. Franchetti got the rally going as he ripped a triple into the right center field gap with one out for the first three-bagger of his career. Sophomore Kirby Campbell (Muncie, Ind./Cowan) tied the game as he lifted a sacrifice fly to right center field to drive in Franchetti on the sacrifice fly.
Miami regained the lead in the top of the sixth inning as it once again utilized the long ball. Bryce Redeker put the RedHawks in front 7-6 as he ripped his third home run of the season over the left field wall. Weisenberger drew a four-pitch walk to end Bautista's day. After a passed ball, Fiala gave Miami an 8-6 lead with an RBI single off left-hander Jon Cisna (Homer Glen, Ill./Liberty Township).
Miami added three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to take an 11-6 lead. The RedHawks posted four hits in the inning to extend the lead to four runs as three different Cardinal pitchers saw action in the frame.
Ball State mounted a rally in the top of the ninth inning against Miami left-hander Sam Dawes. Campbell led off the inning with a walk and came home to score as Elliott crushed a triple off the center field wall to make it an 11-7 contest. Junior Mitch Widau (Richmond, Ind./Richmond) narrowed the gap to 11-8 as he grounded out to second base scoring Elliott from third base but ending the threat.
Miami left-hander Sam Dawes worked the final 3.0 innings for his third save of the year. Joe Neff (1-1) notched the victory in relief as he worked 1.0 innings and allowed one run. Melling got a no decision as he allowed five runs on seven hits in 5.0 innings of work.
Bautista (0-3) picked up the loss in relief as he was charged with three runs, two earned, in 2.1 innings as he allowed three hits. Grabner got a no decision as he allowed five runs on six hits in 3.1 innings of work.
The Cardinals and RedHawks will wrap up the three-game series Sunday afternoon in the rubber game. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. with senior right-hander Morgan Coombs (West Terre Haute, Ind./Lincoln Trail) set to take the hill for the Cardinals.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: NEFF, Joe (1-1)
L: Bautista, Nestor (0-3)
S: DAWES, Sam (3)
Batting:
2B: Beemer, Blake 1 ; Issler, Tim 1
3B: Elliott, Cody 1 ; Franchetti, Kevin 1
HR: Elliott, Cody 1
RBI: Elliott, Cody 5 ; Widau, Mitch 1 ; Franchetti, Kevin 1 ; Campbell, Kirby 1
SH: Campbell, Kirby 1
SF: Campbell, Kirby 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Baumet, T.J. 1 ; Elliott, Cody 2 ; Beemer, Blake 1 ; Issler, Tim 1 ; Franchetti, Kevin 2 ; Campbell, Kirby 1
Batting:
2B: REDEKER, Bryce 2 ; CURL, Ryan 1 ; GSCHWIND, Brad 1
HR: REDEKER, Bryce 1 ; WELDON, Kyle 1
RBI: REDEKER, Bryce 2 ; WEISENBURGER, Adam 2 ; FIALA, Brooks 1 ; WELDON, Kyle 3 ; CURL, Ryan 2
SF: WELDON, Kyle 1 ; CURL, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BRENNER, Ryan 1 ; KAUP, Ryan 2 ; REDEKER, Bryce 3 ; WEISENBURGER, Adam 3 ; FIALA, Brooks 1 ; WELDON, Kyle 1
SB: KAUP, Ryan 1 ; FIALA, Brooks 1
CS: BRENNER, Ryan 1
