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RedHawks rally for series win

Photo by Angelo Gelfuso

By Daniel Taylor, Staff Writer

After an offensively starved game one, Miami University put on a buffet of hitting for games two and three to earn a series win over Eastern Michigan University.

The RedHawks (11-34, 9-12 Mid-American Conference) needed a spark in MAC play as the chase for the tournament enters the final stages this season, and that's exactly what they received in this weekend's wins over the Eagles (18-29, 8-13 MAC).

Miami totaled 30 runs in the pair of weekend games after scoring one run in 11 innings on Friday night.

"Definitely excited to get those two games," manager Danny Hayden said. "It's like playoff baseball; we can't afford to lose."

Hayden said the response on Saturday and Sunday was huge from the squad after the Friday's gut-wrenching loss in which a pair of 11th inning errors allowed two runners to score.

Junior outfielder Jacob Wolf dropped a ball in left field with one out. After senior Will Schierholz struck out the batter for a second out, the RedHawks were poised to get out of the inning unharmed.

However, a routine ground ball to second base was booted into center field by senior infielder Steve Sada. Two runs reached home plate, ultimately closing the door on a Miami Win.

A questionable call at second base removed an eighth inning opportunity for Miami. Hayden said EMU senior infielder John Rubino's foot was not on the bag during the double play.

"It was a bad call. But those guys are making 100 calls a game, they're not going to get them all right," Hayden said. "I thought that one was a fairly easy one to get right."

The RedHawks would have had runners on second and third with two outs in the inning.

Miami rebounded with a 17-6 blowout victory Saturday.

Senior infielder Scott Slappey went 3-4 with a walk and five RBIs. Slappey also hit a grand slam for his second homer of the season.

The RedHawks scored in seven of eight trips to the plate, including at least two runs in five of those at-bats.

Sophomore righty Jacob Banks earned his third win of the season (3-7), despite not having his best night on the mound. He pitched 6.1 innings and allowed four earned runs.

The offense remained red hot in MU's 13-5 victory Sunday.

Senior outfielder Matt Honchel went 4-5, knocking in five RBIs. Honchel was just a home run away from his first career cycle.

Honchel appeared to be 100 percent healthy for the first time since injuring his groin against Akron on April 19. He finished 8-12 in the series and reached base in 10 of his 14 at-bats. Honchel knocked in nine of the team's 31 runs over the three-game series.

"When Honchel got hurt at Akron that was a very nervous moment," Hayden said. "Our offense isn't the same without him in it.

Senior right-hander Ryan Powers was on the mound for seven innings on Sunday, allowing nine hits and four earned runs. Powers also struck out seven batters. In his last two starts, Powers allowed only four runs in 16 innings of work.

The weekend was a confidence booster for the Red and White, but Hayden is left scratching his head over the absence of the offense throughout the rest of the season.

"Hopefully it's a sign of things to come," Hayden said. "It was so good to see that, but it's also frustrating because that's what this team should look like every day."

The RedHawks host to No. 11 Ohio State University Tuesday evening at 6 p.m.

The Buckeyes (31-13, 12-6 Big 10) were swept by No. 6 University of Illinois over the weekend.

This is the second ranked team the RedHawks will have faced in 2015. When Miami played a ranked team March 6-8, the 'Hawks were swept by University of South Carolina in a three-game series.

"I don't like Ohio State much," Hayden said. "I'm always excited to try and beat those guys."

Hayden has not settled on a starter at this point.

He remains confident with the team and said the goal is to win out.

"We'd like to win the next seven games, go to the conference tournament and ruin some peoples seasons," Hayden said.