OXFORD, Ohio – Sophomore Matt Davis went 3-for-5 with an RBI but it wasn't enough as the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks snapped the Eastern Kentucky baseball team's three-game winning streak with a 6-4 victory on Wednesday evening at McKie Field at Hayden Park. The Colonels fall to 12-9-1 with the loss while Miami improves to 13-9.
The Colonels took a 1-0 lead two batters into the game as senior Shawn Flora led off the game with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and then came around to score on a Davis RBI single.
Eastern held onto the lead until the fourth inning when the Redhawks put four runs on the board. Sophomore leftfielder Chris Nadeau reached first on a fielding error to start the inning and he was moved to second on a Jeff Carroll single.
With two outs and runners on first and second, Chris Niro belted a single to right field, plating Nadeau. Sophomore catcher Josh Hula hit an RBI single, scoring Carroll, and advanced to second on the throw home, placing two runners in striking distance on second and third for the RedHawks. Evan Armitage then drilled a double to allow Niro and Hula to cross the plate and give Miami a three-run edge.
It looked as if the Colonel deficit would stay at three in the fifth as junior Tyler Barnett and Flora were retired to begin the inning. But Davis then reached on a single and came around to score on a Tony Wells RBI double. Junior Joe Oliver then followed with an RBI single to cut the Redhawk lead to a run.
Miami, however, extended its lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Niro doubled to left field to start the inning for the RedHawks. Hula's RBI single drove in Niro and gave the Red and White a two-run cushion.
EKU cut the lead back to one in eighth on sophomore Dylan McMaine's two-out RBI single driving in Oliver who had walked with one out. But Eastern was unable to push the tying run across as sophomore Frank Krailler struck out with runners on first and second to end the inning.
Jordan Petraitis' RBI single in the bottom of the eighth pushed the lead back to two and Eastern was unable to capitalize on a Barnett double to lead off the ninth.
Freshman Chris Hord took the loss, giving up four unearned runs in his 5.0 innings of work. Junior Clint Seymour went 2-for-4 on the night for the Colonels, his third straight multi-hit game.
The Colonels return to conference play on Saturday, traveling to take on the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. First pitch for the doubleheader is 2 p.m.
