OXFORD, Ohio - Sophomore pitcher Sam Bachman dominated on Friday, striking out 12 Purdue Fort Wayne hitters over eight innings of work to help propel the Miami University baseball team past the Mastodons 6-2. The RedHawks improve to 1-3 on the season, while PFW falls to 3-2.

Bachman did not allow a hit in his first 5.1 innings of work. He shut the Mastodons out until the eighth inning when they were able to score twice. He allowed six hits and walked only one. Sophomore pitcher Jonathan Brand finished off the ninth by striking out the side to give RedHawk pitching 15 total strikeouts on the day.

Senior first baseman Charlie Harrigan led the way offensively for the RedHawks, going 3-for-4 in the ballgame with a triple and two RBIs. Junior center fielder Cristian Tejada provided a standout effort as well, going 3-for-4 with a triple and an RBI. Senior second baseman Will Vogelgesang also helped out, going 1-for-3 for Miami with a triple and two RBIs.

The RedHawks got on the board immediately with a run in the first inning. Tejada led off with a triple and came across home plate on a Vogelgesang sacrifice fly.

The Mastodons failed to push any runs across before the RedHawks built on their lead in the fifth inning. Miami scored once on an RBI single off the bat of Tejada, who drove in freshman third baseman Brian Zapp to make it 2-0.

Miami expanded their lead to 3-0 the following inning. The RedHawks notched a run on an RBI triple off the bat of Harrigan, scoring redshirt freshman designated hitter Stephen Krause from third.

The Mastodons fought back, closing the gap to 3-2 until Miami added some insurance in the eighth with three runs to bring the advantage to 6-2. Vogelgesang tripled home Tejada, while a double down the left field line by senior right fielder Landon Stephens scored Vogelgesang. Harrigan completed the RedHawk scoring with a single up the middle to score Stephens.

Miami continues its series with Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday. Please note that the start time has been moved up to 2 p.m.

 

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.  – The Western Michigan baseball offense exploded for 12 runs on 12 hits with two home runs and seven stolen bases in a 12-2 rout of Alabama A&M on Friday afternoon at Bulldog Field.

Six different Broncos registered a hit on Friday with four Broncos earning multi-hit games. Four separate Broncos also earned multi-RBI games while a pair of Broncos had two stolen bases. The four through seven hitters in the WMU line-up led the offensive attack going 8-for-18 with five RBIs and six runs scored. Overall WMU scored at least one run in every inning but the eighth to secure the victory.

It was a career day at the plate for senior Ethan Hajudkovic who was a single short of the cycle. Hajdukovic went 3-for-5 at the plate with two RBIs, two runs scored and a home run. Hajdukovic belted a two-run home run in the fifth inning for the fifth home run of his career. The Inverness, Ill., natives three hits was a career-high while his two runs scored match his career-high set back on April 10, 2019 against Notre Dame.

Along with Hajdukovic, junior Blake Dunn recorded a three-hit game going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs. The Golden Spikes Award Watch list member also had two stolen bases and now has four through the first four games this season. Last season Dunn posted 30 stolen bases, the second most in a single-season in school history.

In the leadoff spot junior Connor Charping was 1-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs along with registering a career-high three stolen bases. Continuing his hot bat at the plate was fellow redshirt junior Logan Hudson who went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. Hudson leads the Broncos this season with a .400 batting average and five RBIs.

Freshman Greg Budig in his third collegiate start behind the plate went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Budig also drew a walk and earned his first career stolen base. Rounding out the Bronco offense was junior Sean O'Keefe with a 1-for-4 performance at the plate with his lone hit being a solo home run over the right field wall in the top of the eighth inning.

On the mound the Broncos got a stellar outing from sophomore RHP Brady Miller. In his second start of the season Miller threw seven innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits while matching his career-high with seven strikeouts. Miller is the first Bronco to strike out at least five batters since senior Jack Szott struck out five vs. Ohio last season.

Out of the bullpen the Broncos got dominant performances from senior Zach Mehelich and sophomore Drew Szczepaniak. The duo combined to go two innings, allowing no runs on just one hit while striking out four.

With the 12-2 victory Western Michigan improved its overall record to 2-2. The Brown & Gold returns to the field for a doubleheader against Alabama A&M on Saturday, Feb. 22. Game one of the scheduled doubleheader is set for 12:00 p.m. with game two begin a seven-inning contest scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

It was a quick start for the Broncos, scoring two runs on one hit and capitalizing on two Bulldog errors in the top of the first. Charping reached first to leadoff the game on an error and stole second base a pitch later to give WMU a runner in scoring position with no outs. After a Dunn single to left field, an Alabama A&M error resulted in Charping crossing home plate for the first run of the ballgame. Dunn scored a batter later on a sacrifice fly from junior Justin McIntyre.

The Bronco offense continued its momentum into the second inning as sophomore Will Morrison scored Greg Budig from third on a groundout to third base to extend the WMU lead to 3-0.

WMU added to its lead in the top of the fourth with two runs on two hits. After a fly out to third base, Ethan Hajdukovic registered his first career triple to right field to give the Broncos a runner in scoring position. After a strikeout, WMU drew back-to-back walks to load the bases for Charping who smoked a two RBI single to center field to give WMU a 5-0 advantage.

Alabama A&M got on the board in the bottom of the fourth as Trevor Berkemeyer connected on a solo home run to lead off the inning. However, WMU answered right back in the top of the fifth as Hajdukovic blasted a two-run home run over the right field wall to extend WMU's lead.

In the sixth the Broncos had runners on second and third with two outs prior to Logan Hudson connecting on a two-out two-RBI double to left center field, widening the Bronco lead to 9-1. WMU scored two more runs in the top of the seventh as Blake Dunn roped a two-RBI double to left field with the bases loaded and two outs to give WMU a 11-1 advantage.

The Bulldogs got on the board once again in the bottom half of the inning as a single to left field with two outs plated the Bulldog runner from third to trip WMU's lead down to 11-2. Western Michigan responded once again in the top of the eighth as Sean O'Keefe smashed his first home run of the season over the right field wall to extend the Bronco lead.

In the bottom of the ninth, Szczepaniak secured the victory for the Broncos registering three strikeouts in four batters faced for the 12-2 win. 

 

HOUSTON - Ross Messina smacked a two-run single in the 11th inning to deliver the clutch hit in Ball State's 5-3 victory at Houston Babtist on Friday. It was BSU's first win of the young season. Four Cardinals relievers combined for 6.1 shutout innings, with Ty Weatherly earning the win and Tyler Ruetschle picking up his first career save.

With the game tied 3-3 in the 11th, Noah Navarro and Ryan Peltier started the inning with a pair of singles. Adam Tellier pinch hit and sacrificed the runners into scoring position, setting up Messina's big hit. The senior outfielder hit the first pitch he saw for a 2-out single to left-center, driving in the two runs that provided the final score. Luke Jaksich and Ruetschle got the final three outs to clinch the win.

"I knew the pitcher had to come right at me with the bases loaded," Messina said. "I was looking for something near the zone to put the barrel on. He left one up for me right away and I jumped on it."

Messina also made a nice play in the outfield early in the game, a diving catch that led to a 9-3 double play.

Ball State led 3-0 in the 2nd inning when Zach Cole hit a two-run double and then scored on a base hit from Justin Conant. Cole's .364 on-base percentage is second on the team among players with 10+ plate appearances. BSU held the lead until HBU tied the game in the bottom of the 5th.

Conant led the team with three hits and Aaron Simpson led off the game with a double. Navarro, Peltier and Messina all had two hits. Navarro scored twice and also stole a base. John Baker started and went 4.2 innings, striking out six. Andre Orselli enter the game in the 5th inning and was strong, throwing 4.2 shutout innings. 

Ball State and Houston Baptist will do it again Saturday afternoon starting at 2 p.m. ET. Kyle Nicolas is set to take the mound for the Cardinals. Fans can listen to the action and follow live stats by clicking on the links on the baseball schedule page.
 
 

WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Bowling Green State University baseball team opened its weekend at the Hughes Brothers Challenge with a 5-3 victory over Marshall University. The three-game weekend is being staged at Brooks Field on the campus of the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
 
The win is Bowling Green's first of the 2020 season. The Falcons are now 1-3 on the campaign, with games against UNCW (Feb. 22) and Marshall (Feb. 23) still to come to finish out the weekend.
 
The Falcons took advantage of a three-run third inning, and never looked back. Dylan Dohanos and Kyle Gurney plated runs with ground outs, prior to Jack Krause coming around to score on a wild pitch. Krause doubled with two outs before coming around to score.
 
After the Thundering Herd pulled within a single run at 3-2, Bowling Green scored two more runs in the seventh. With the bases loaded and two outs, Ryan Johnston poked a two-RBI single into left field. The rally was started with an Adam Furnas single. Mike Malewitz and Trent Farquhar worked walks to load the bases.
 
Bowling Green's pitching staff allowed just two earned runs. Gage Schenk closed the deal, pitching two scoreless innings to earn the first save of his career. Schenk struck out two, and allowed just one hit. The eighth-inning single marked the only blemish on Schenk's record.
 
Andrew Abrahamowicz got the start, and earned his third-career win in the process. Over 5.0 innings, the righty allowed five hits and three runs (two earned), while striking out two and walking three. Abrahamowicz moved to 1-0 on the season with the victory.
 
Jay Ward struck out one over 1.1 scoreless innings. Jeremy Spezia recorded two keys outs in the seventh inning.
 
Jake Wilson went 2-for-5 with a run, leading the squad with a team-high two hits. Nick Neibauer went 1-for-2 with a double, run scored and two walks. He also threw out a would-be base stealer in the first inning. The Falcons registered eight hits compared to Marshall's seven.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO – The Northern Illinois University baseball team rallied from a two-run deficit with five runs in the eighth inning to win 7-4 at Capaha Field against the Southeast Missouri Redhawks Friday afternoon.
 
"We had some clutch two-out hits and played solid defense today," said head coach Mike Kunigonis. "This team does a great job at battling in every at-bat. We have the firepower to change a game offensively in any inning."
 
NIU (2-3) trailed SEMO 4-2 heading into the decisive eighth inning. After a groundout to start the frame, Brady Huebbe (Peru, Ill./Illinois Valley C.C.) drew a walk and reached second base on a balk by Redhawks reliever Grossius. Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) followed with a walk, leading to a SEMO pitching change. Jordan Larson (Dodgeville, Wis./College of DuPage) welcomed Blake Cisneros to the game with a base hit to left center, scoring Huebbe to make the score 4-3. Dylan Lonteen (Peoria, Ill./Illinois Central College) tied the game at four with a single up the middle to bring in Dunham.
 
Tommy Szczasny (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) gave the Huskies their first lead. After Larson and Lonteen advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch, the senior third baseman ripped a single to left center to score both runners and make the score 6-4. Nick Drobushevich (Moline, Ill./Moline) was the sixth Huskie to reach base with an infield single, leading to SEMO's second pitching change of the inning. Keegan Meyn came into the game and got Alex Rodriguez (Cudahy, Wis./Cudahy) to ground out which advanced Szczasny to third and Drobushevich to second. Meyn then threw a wild pitch that allowed Szczasny to score and put NIU up 7-4.
 
Kyle Seebach (Rochelle, Ill./Rochelle Twp.) slammed the door on the Redhawks from there. The junior reliever retired the side in the bottom of the eighth as well as the ninth to secure the Huskies' second straight win.
 
Southeast Missouri (1-4) opened the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the first on back-to-back RBI singles from Justin Dirdin and Austin Blazevic. NIU starting pitcher Michael Lasiewicz (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) came back to get Wade Stauss and Lincoln Andrews to fly out to end the inning.
 
NIU got on the board in the top of the fourth when Dunham hit a solo home run over the right field fence for NIU's first hit of the game, making the score 2-1. The Huskies tied the game with a two-out rally in the top of the fifth. Brendan Joyce (South Elgin, Ill./Parkland College) started the threat with a single to left field. Joyce then got to third base on a Matt Barnes (Bloomington, Ill./Heartland C.C.) base hit to right field. Huebbe drove in Joyce with a single to left center to make the score 2-2.
 
Lasiewicz did his best to keep the game tied in the bottom of the fifth. SEMO had runners at first and second with one out. The junior right-hander got Andrew Keck to fly out and Tyler Wilber to ground into a fielder's choice to erase the threat. The Redhawks broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth with a Stauss RBI double to take a 3-2 lead. SEMO tacked on another run in the seventh on an Andrew Keck sacrifice fly to go up 4-2.
 
Seven of NIU's nine hitters in the starting lineup had a hit Friday. Lonteen was 2-for-5 as Joyce was 1-for-3 with two walks and a stolen base at the top of the order. Lasiewicz scattered nine hits over six innings, allowing three runs with no walks and four strikeouts. Seebach earned the win, allowing one run on no hits in three innings with a pair of walks and four strikeouts.
 
"Lasiewicz battled again for us and gave us a chance to hit our way back into the game," Kunigonis said. "Seebach was fantastic and unhittable once he settled in."
 
The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday, with game one scheduled for a 12 p.m. first pitch.