Central Michigan University
Miami (Oh)
Big 9th Inning Spells Doom For CMU
5/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - Miami (Ohio) broke through with a four-run ninth inning Friday in handing the Central Michigan baseball team a 7-3 loss in the opener of a three-game Mid-American Conference series at Theunissen Stadium.
The Chippewas (16-34, 8-11 MAC) and RedHawks (23-24, 12-7) play game two of the series Saturday at 2:05 p.m. The series finale is Sunday 1:05 p.m.
Miami's Ross Haffey broke a 3-3 tie with a one-out RBI single in the ninth, and Gary Russo followed with a three-run homer.
The Chippewas went down in order in the bottom of the ninth, ending their win streak at three games.
The ninth inning spoiled another solid performance by CMU starter Sean Renzi (5-6), who struck out eight, walked three and surrendered 12 hits in going the distance.
"He pitched a great game," CMU coach Steve Jaksa said. "He laid it all out there. He was one pitch away.
"(Russo), he did have a good swing. That was the one pitch that Sean would probably like to have back and that's unfortunate because he pitched a hell of a game for us and he competed like the devil.
"Can't ask anything more from him. You put him out there to give you that kind of effort and he gave us that kind of effort and we weren't able to get it done offensively for him."
Spencer Dull led off the Miami ninth with an infield single and moved to second on a bunt. One out later, Renzi intentionally walked Tyler Harris, who had two hits in the game, to face Haffey, who came in hitting .371 but had struck out in his three previous at-bats against Renzi.
"We liked the matchup going into that (with runners on) first and second," Jaksa said.
Russo's homer was his MAC-leading 17th of the season.
Shane Smith (4-3) went the final six innings in relief of starter Gus Graham for the victory. Smith allowed four hits and struck out three.
The Chippewas left nine runners on base, one each in the sixth and eighth innings, and two in seventh.
"(Miami) scored six runs after two were out, that was the difference in the game today," Jaksa said. "It's a shame we couldn't get a two-out hit today because that probably would have been the ice-breaker for us.
"We had several opportunities to get that hit and we just weren't able to get it today."
Alex Borglin, Ryan Heeke and Zach McKinstry had two hits apiece for the Chippewas. McKinstry extended his hit streak to 16 games, and Borglin extended his to 14.
Trailing 3-0, the Chippewas tied it with a three-run third. Borglin scored on a wild pitch, Dazon Cole had an RBI single, and Daniel Robinson tied with a sacrifice fly.
The Chippewas had what appeared to be a good chance in the first inning when Borglin and Heeke hit back-to-back singles. McKinstry bunted and was called out for running inside the baseline when the throw from the catcher hit him in the back.
"(The umpire) said he ran inside the line," Jaksa said. "Right there in the first inning that's a huge swing. We would have had second and third nobody out and a run in already. But that's what he called and that's how the game goes sometimes. You're not going to get every call like that."
