TicketsMarch 4, 2009
CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati baseball team rallied to tie the game at 8-8, but three late-inning runs by Miami University gave the RedHawks an 11-8 win in UC's home opener Wednesday evening at Marge Schott Stadium.
Miami (2-3) got on the board in top of the first with two runs on two hits, but Cincinnati (1-4) responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. With senior Cameron Satterwhite (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller) on first base, senior Mike Spina (Newberry, Fla./Newberry) belted a two-run home run over the left field fence to knot the contest at two. Later in the inning with the bases loaded and two outs, a fielding error by the Miami third baseman plated a run, placing UC in front, 3-2.
The home run was Spina's fourth of the season and the 25th of his career, moving him into a tie for tenth place on Cincinnati's career home run list with Brian Szarmach (2003-07) and Mike Mottice (1988-91).
Miami took back the lead with four runs in the top of the fourth, three of which came courtesy of a three-run double by Tommy Nurre, to take a 6-3 lead. UC climbed back within one run in the bottom of the fourth inning as three consecutive walks to junior Jamel Scott (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Scioto), Satterwhite, and Spina, loaded the bases. Scott crossed the plate and Satterwhite moved to third base on a fielder's choice off the bat of junior Lance Durham (Forest Park, Ohio/Roger Bacon). During the next at-bat, Satterwhite scored on a wild pitch, bringing UC within one run, 6-5.
Nurre struck again for the RedHawks in the sixth inning with a two-run home run, extending the Miami lead to 8-5.
The Bearcats fought back in the seventh inning with three runs, knotting the contest at eight. Sophomore Justin Riddell (Lexington, Ky./Lexington Catholic) sent a one-out triple to center field before scoring on a sacrifice fly to right field off the bat of freshman Dorian West (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton). With two outs in the inning, back-to-back pinch-hit singles by freshman Cory Hough (Lebanon, Ohio/Springboro) and junior Beach Brooks (Winter Haven, Fla./Winter Haven) and a walk by sophomore Chris Peters (Tipp City, Ohio/Tipp City) loaded the bases. Consecutive passed balls by the RedHawks plated Hough and Brooks, tying the game at eight.
However, the RedHawks scored one run in the eighth inning and tacked on two more runs in the ninth inning to defeat UC, 11-8.
Durham and Riddell each collected two hits, while Spina led the squad with two RBI.
Cincinnati returns to the field on Friday, March 6, when it kicks off a four-game series with Bradley. The scheduled start time for Friday's contest is 4 p.m.