After being shutout in their previous two games, the Miami offense exploded for 14 hits in an 11-8 win over Ball State (5-19, 3-2) Saturday in Oxford. With the win, the RedHawks (13-13, 4-1) remain in a tie with Kent State (14-10, 4-1) for first place in the MAC East. Firstbaseman Kyle Weldon and leftfielder Bryce Redeker were among the stars at the plate, as both had three-hit performances that included solo home runs.
The 'Hawks scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning when rightfielder Ryan Curl drove in designated hitter Brooks Fiala on a sac fly. Then in the third inning, they added a trio of runs. Shortstop Ryan Kaup led off the inning with a walk and stole second base before coming in to score on a double by Redeker. After he went to third on a single by catcher Adam Weisenburger, he scored on a sac fly by Weldon. Weisenburger was the third run to score in the inning when Curl doubled him in. Miami pushed the lead to 5-0 in the fourth inning when centerfielder Ryan Brenner scored on a wild pitch.
However, the Cardinals erased that lead entirely in the top of the fifth inning. They lit up RedHawk starter Tyler Melling for five hits in the inning. The inning started with three consecutive hits, the last of which pushed the first run across the plate. Once the Cardinals loaded the bases, Melling served up a grand slam off the bat of Cody Elliot that tied the game at 5-5.
Miami was quick to get the lead back, tacking on a run in the bottom of the inning on Weldon's fifth home run of the season, but the Cardinals tied the game once again at 6-6 in the sixth inning against reliever Joe Neff (1-1) with a triple that was followed by a sac fly.
The RedHawks went back on top for good in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of runs. With two outs in the inning, Redeker hit his tie-breaking home run, his third of the year. Two batters later, Fiala added an RBI single that scored Weisenburger, who had walked and advanced on a passed ball. Their final runs of the night came in the eighth inning. With Kaup and Redeker on board with two outs, Weisenburger drove both runners in with a single. After he moved into scoring position on a groundout, he then scored on a single by Weldon.
The Cardinals tried to rally in the ninth inning, scoring twice against Sam Dawes, who worked three innings for his third save of the year. After walking the leadoff man, he gave up a one-out triple, and that batter would score on a groundout for the final run of the slugfest. In the end, secondbaseman Jon Edgington was the only starter in Miami's lineup who didn't get a hit. Five different 'Hawks drove in at least one RBI and the first six batters in the lineup all scored a run.
The RedHawks and Cardinals will play the rubbermatch of their three-game series Sunday in Oxford at 1 p.m. EST.
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