Baseball’s Battle of the Bricks: Miami wins three-game series over Ohio University

In the latest edition of the Battle of the Bricks, the Miami University RedHawks claimed a 2-1 series win over the rival Ohio University Bobcats this past weekend. Heading into the series, Miami held a 20-11 overall record and 10-5 mark in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The team was coming off a series sweep versus Ball State and a narrow 7-8 loss to the University of Cincinnati. Ohio entered at 6-26 and 3-12 in MAC play.

Game 1: 7-6 loss

Senior pitcher Zac Sohosky got the start for game one. The southpaw entered with a 3-0 record on the season. For Ohio, freshman Mason Gass began on the mound, holding a 2-0 record.

Ohio’s offense came out hot. In the top of the first, Tyler Stack found a gap in right-center field, bringing in two runs on a single. Grant Wilson would soon launch a ball to left field, just clearing the wall, giving the Bobcats an early 4-0 lead.

Miami responded in the bottom of the second on a home run from Ryan Novak, followed by back-to-back singles from Ignacio Gonzalez and Carson Raether. Sophomore Christopher Roa hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring Gonzalez home, and Miami would trail 4-2.

In the third, Marcus Dierks found a soft spot in deep right-center for a triple and was later driven in by Evan Appelwick to bring Miami within one, down 4-3.

Both offenses quieted in the fourth and fifth innings, with no runs scored. Ohio added another run in the sixth with back-to-back sacrifice flies from Will Henson and Wilson that brought in Stack. They would score one more in the seventh while Miami only managed two hits across innings four through seven.

Ohio tacked on one more in the top of the eighth. Miami answered after Tommy Harrison drove an RBI right down the first base line, scoring Jamie Rasmussen.

Heading into the final inning, Miami’s relief pitcher, Taylor Echols worked out of a jam with two runners on to keep Ohio from further extending its lead. Down 7-4 with two outs, Rasmussen crushed a home run to left center to bring Miami within one run, but the late rally came up just short. Miami dropped the first game of the series 7-6.

Game 2: 15-5 win

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On Saturday, Miami’s Clayton Burke took the mound, holding a 4-1 record. Burke was sharp early, taking just nine pitches to retire the first three batters.

Miami struck first with two runs in the first inning. Appelwick tripled to center field to score Dierks, who had walked. Harrison followed with an RBI of his own, hitting a grounder down to first base, allowing Appelwick to score.

Ohio tied the game at two in the top of the third, capitalizing on two errors following a single by Colton Shirley, who scored along with Cam Bryant. Miami immediately took back a one-run lead after Appelwick doubled to right-center, and a sacrifice fly by Novak brought him home.

Miami began to pull away, adding four runs each in the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, Diego Cruz reached third off a bunt and a fielding error, which allowed Matt Buffington and Rasmussen to score. A wild pitch then brought Cruz home himself. A Dierks single set up Harrison for an RBI to cap off the frame.

In the fifth, a pair of singles by Cruz and Rasmussen was followed by a walk to Dominic Krupinski. A missed throw allowed Dierks to safely make it to first, while Cruz and Rasmussen scored. Harrison was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Krupinski came home on a walk to Novak. Finally, an RBI single from Gonzalez extended Miami’s lead 11-2.

After a Miami pitching change, Ohio clawed back with a run in the sixth, and another two in the seventh, coming behind a Dylan Shepherd deep center RBI double and Henson RBI single.

Down two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Miami rallied behind singles from Gonzalez and Buffington, and a Rasmussen RBI double. Cruz then recorded his fourth hit of the game, a two-run triple to deep left-center. He later scored his third run of the game off a wild pitch. This effort helped secure Miami a 15-5 win, granted after just seven innings via the mercy rule.

Game 3: 17-6 win

In the series tiebreaker, senior Troy Benko took the mound for the RedHawks, entering with a 1-0 record.

Ohio loaded the bases early, but an unassisted double play by Cruz helped Miami escape the jam. Miami kept the momentum from Saturday, quickly taking a 3-0 lead in the first behind Gonzalez’s two RBI single and a Raether sacrifice fly.

Ohio tied things in the third after loading the bases and scoring off a walk, a Henson RBI single, and a Bryant sacrifice fly.

Then, Miami caught fire. Rasmussen launched a three-run home run. Dierks, Appelwick and Harrison all reached base, with Dierks and Appelwick scoring. Novak and Gonzalez hit back-to-back doubles to push Miami to an early 11-3 lead.

Ohio chipped away, adding two runs in the fourth off Taylor Harris and Shepherd doubles. They added one more in the sixth with Stack scoring off Shirley’s single.

After a scoreless fourth and fifth inning, Miami found its stride again. An Appelwick single and Novak being hit by a pitch contributed to two scores. With bases loaded, Gonzalez smoked a ball down the left field line and over the wall for a grand slam, bringing his RBI total for the day to eight.

Sophomore pitcher Alex Gay closed things out with two strikeouts in the seventh, and Miami won by mercy rule, 17-6.

Miami got the series win against their archrivals and improved to 22-12 overall and 12-6 in the MAC, moving into third place in the conference standings. The team is next in action on April 14, traveling to West Lafayette to play Purdue University. The RedHawks will then travel up north for a road series at Toledo, before returning home on April 21 to face Bellarmine University.

luebbeb2@miamioh.edu