Central Michigan University
Miami (Oh)
CMU completes Sweep of Miami
3/29/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Cullen Maksimowski, CMUChippewas.com
OXFORD, Ohio -- Tyler Huntey and Daniel Jipping combined to drive in five runs Sunday and Jimmy McNamara and Sean Renzi came out of the bullpen to slam the door as the Central Michigan baseball team held off Miami, 8-7.
The win completed a sweep of the Mid-American Conference series and lifted CMU to 18-10, 5-1 in the MAC. Miam is 4-19, 2-4. The Chippewas rolled to an 11-0 win in Friday's opener, then downed the RedHawks, 4-3, on Saturday.
"It was just a hard fought weekend," CMU coach Steve Jaksa said. "I am really proud of how we battled these past two days, coming from behind.
"We got some good pitching, some timely hitting, good defense and our bullpen was really good all weekend."
Jason Gamble (5-1) started and earned the win, going five innings and surrendering six runs on eight hits.
Jimmy McNamara and Sean Renzi each pitched two innings in relief for the Chippewas. McNamara pitched the sixth an seventh giving up a run on two hits, while Renzi worked the eighth and ninth innings. He walked 1 batter and struck out three, earning his second save of the season.
Jaksa stuck with Renzi despite the fact that he had closer Tim Black - who on Saturday notched his eighth save of the season on Saturday - ready
"Renzi has been great," said Jaksa "We were in a situation were Tim had had pitched (Saturday) and he was available if we needed him
"When Renzi got through the eighth we decided to send him back out and it worked out for us. Its important to have guys like that in your bullpen that can go out and do that that."
Nick Regnier, Huntey, Jipping and Colton Bradley all drove in runs for CMU. Miami matched the Chippewas hit total with 10.
Bradley tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning with an RBI single. The Chippewas tacked on four more in the fifth thanks to a sacrifiece fly by Huntey a two-run single by Jipping.
Miami answered with four runs in the bottom of the fifth to reclaim the lead 6-5.
Huntey came through again in the sixth with the go-head two-run double to left field to put the CMU ahead 8-6. Miami managed a run in the seventh but the Chippewas held on.
The Chippewas will head to Ann Arbor Wednesday to battle Big Ten opponent and in-state rival Michigan at 4:05 p.m. in a non-conference game
