Central Michigan University
Miami (Oh)
Chippewas Rally Late, But Fall Short At Miami
5/13/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
OXFORD, Ohio - Central Michigan finished the weekend the way it started it, in fourth place in the Mid-American Conference baseball standings.
Ross Haffey hit two home runs on Sunday as Miami (Ohio) outslugged the Chippewas, 13-8, in the finale of a three-game MAC series at the RedHawks' McKie Field.
Miami won two of the three games in the series. The Chippewas, 22-28-1 overall, are 13-11 in MAC play. Miami is 31-17, 15-11, tied for second place with Ball State. The top six teams in the final conference standings earn a berth in the league tournament.
The Chippewas are a game ahead of Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan, which are tied for fifth in the conference.
CMU closes the regular season this week with a nonleaguer at home on Tuesday, May 15, against Michigan State, and then entertains Ohio in a three-game MAC series beginning on Thursday, May 17.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The RedHawks scored three runs in the fourth inning to snap a 3-3 tie and eventually extended their lead to 13-3 after seven frames. CMU scored five runs in its final two turns at bat and left the bases loaded in the top of the ninth.
The Chippewas stranded 11 baserunners.
AT THE PLATE
CMU matched Miami's hit total with 14. Zach Heeke, batting in the leadoff spot for the first time this season, matched his season high with three hits. Jacob Crum, normally the Chippewas' leadoff man, batted in the No. 6 spot and also equalied his season high with three hits.
Daniel Robinson and Zavier Warren added two hits apiece and Zach Gilles tripled and drove in three runs for the Chippewas.
Robinson continued his torrid pace with his sixth consecutive multi-hit game and extended his hitting streak to 13 games. He is hitting .449 (22 for 49) with 15 RBI in those 13 games.
Haffey and Hayden Senger finished with three hits apiece for Miami.
ON THE MOUND
Freshman Logan Buczkowski (2-1) started and took the loss, the first of his career. He allowed six runs on five hits, walked four and struck out four.
Brandon Reed, Braxton Markle, Cameron Brown and Jake Raether pitched in relief for CMU.
Miami starter Gus Graham (6-0) struck out six, walked one and allowed three runs on six hits over six innings for the win.
