Sunday's Baseball Results
Miami 8, UAB 6
Northern Illinois 6, Chicago State 4
Lamar 5, Akron 1
Northeastern 17, Eastern Michigan 7
Alabama State 9, Toledo 8
Winthrop 5, Kent State 4
Louisville 16, Western Michigan 0
Michigan State 8, Ball State 6
Southeast Missouri State 9, Ohio 7
Murray State 25, Bowling Green 5
Stories courtesy of MAC Sports Information Departments
Miami 8, UAB 6
Boxscore
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—The Miami University baseball team overcame a 6-1 deficit to earn an 8-6 victory over UAB on Sunday. The RedHawks improve to 4-5 overall, while the Blazers fall to 5-6.
Sophomore pitcher Jonathan Brand got the win out of the bullpen for Miami. Coming in the game in the bottom of the fourth inning, the right-hander shut UAB out the rest of the way, allowing only one hit in 6.0 innings pitched.
Junior center fielder Cristian Tejada's two extra base hits were the highlight of a 3-for-4 day, and included a triple, a home run, a walk and an RBI. Senior right fielder Landon Stephens made his contribution with a double, a triple and three RBIs, part of a 2-for-5 performance at the plate. Senior Will Vogelgesang also helped out for the RedHawks, putting together one hit in one trip to the plate while adding a walk and an RBI.
Trailing 4-0, the RedHawks struck in the top of the third inning. Junior Tyler Wardwell drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a balk. A single by Tejada moved Wardwell to third, which allowed a sac fly from Vogelgesang to bring him home.
The RedHawks deficit grew to 6-1 after a two-run home run by the Blazers in the bottom of the third. In the top of the fourth UAB walked the bases loaded. That allowed senior first baseman Charlie Harrigan to come across and score on a fielder's choice groundout by Wardwell, tightning the Blazers advantage to 6-2.
Miami narrowed the gap with three runs in the fifth. After Tejada led off with a triple, Vogelgesang was hit by a pitch. Stephens hit a dribbler to second base but no one was covering the bag. Tejada scored, while Stephens was able to get all the way to second. Vogelgesang scored on a wild pitch, while a sac fly by Andrews brought home Stephens and cut the deficit to 6-5.
Miami took the lead for the first time in the top of the sixth. Stephens drove a ball to deep left center, bringing home Tejada and Vogelgesang to make the score to 7-6 in favor of Miami.
The RedHawks held UAB scoreless before building on their lead to 8-6 in the eighth inning. Miami picked up a run on Tejada's one-out solo home run off of sophomore Matthew Reed. The score remained 8-6 for the rest of the game, as the RedHawks held on for the win.
The RedHawks return home to host Wright State in a midweek game on Tuesday. First pitch is at 6 p.m.
Northern Illinois 6, Chicago State 4
Boxscore
MARION, IL – Senior first baseman Jordan Larson's (Dodgeville, Wis./College of DuPage) two-run single in the top of the eighth proved to be the difference Sunday as the Northern Illinois University baseball team defeated the Chicago State Cougars 6-4 at Rent One Park.
"This group continues to find a way to win," said head coach Mike Kunigonis after the Huskies' third win of the weekend and seventh in the last nine games. "It wasn't a pretty game today, but we battled and found a way to win late."
Chicago State (2-10) scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game 4-4 heading into the eighth inning. With a runner at first and one out, Brady Huebbe (Peru, Ill./Illinois Valley C.C.) crushed a double to centerfield to give the Huskies runners at second and third. Cougars reliever J.D. Brooks intentionally walked Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) to load the bases. Larson then stepped up to the plate and delivered a single to left center, scoring two runs to make the score 6-4. The Cougars loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth but Nate Thomas (South Bend, Ind./Mishawaka Marian) sealed the win by getting a popout to end the game.
NIU (7-5) scored first in the top of the second. Dunham led off the inning with a single, followed by back-to-back walks by Larson and Dylan Lonteen (Peoria, Ill./Illinois Central College). Dunham scored on a wild pitch for the game's first run. Kam Smith (Colonial Beach, Va./The Steward School) then crushed a double to straightaway centerfield to score Larson and Lonteen to make the score 3-0. Smith advanced to third on another wild pitch, then scored on a Paddy McKermitt (Hampshire, Ill./Burlington Central) single to right field that put the Huskies ahead 4-0.
Starting pitcher Erik Hedmark (Algonquin, Ill./Dundee-Crown) allowed just one baserunner in the first three innings on a walk, striking out three Cougars in the process. Chicago State got its first hit in the game in the bottom of the fourth on a lead-off double by Alex Gaytan. After a wild pitch put Gaytan on third, Anthony Urso reached on an RBI infield single to make the score 4-1. The Cougars loaded the bases with no outs but Hedmark got out the jam by getting Patrick Arndt to line into a double play and Judah Wilbur to fly out to end the threat. Chicago State had runners on first and second with two out in the fifth when Kyle Seebach (Rochelle, Ill./Rochelle Twp.) entered the game in relief of Hedmark and struck out Urso to keep NIU ahead.
Six Huskies had a hit on the day as Dunham went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base. Larson and Smith each had two RBI. Thomas earned the win in relief, throwing three scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
NIU returns to southern Illinois on Friday, March 6 to open a three-game series against the Southern Illinois Salukis. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
