The Miami University baseball team (3-3) lost their first two games of the First Pitch Drive tournament, but won the final game thanks to a dominant performance by senior pitcher Shawn Marquardt.
"I think we played some pretty good baseball." Head Coach Dan Simonds said. "We had one bad inning on Friday. Saturday, we just didn't capitalize on our opportunities."
Marquardt pitched a complete game shutout against Michigan State University and allowed only three hits.
"I felt good and we played really good defense," Marquardt said.
He also struck out a career-high seven batters, while walking none.
"It was one of the better pitching efforts I've watched in a Miami Uniform," Simonds said.
Junior first baseman Kevin Bower extended his hitting streak to nine games with three hits in the first two games, but he did not play in the final game. He finished the weekend 3-5 with three RBIs.
Senior outfielder Alex Johnson finished the series 4-11 with three RBIs and had a hit in all three games.
"I thought I played well," Johnson said. "But there were some things I could have done better offensively from an execution stand point."
Miami lost to the Spartans in the first game 13-4 due to a rough third inning. Junior starter Brooks Fiala struggled, giving up nine runs, eight earned, over 2.1 innings. The team brought in freshman Ryan Powers to relive Fiala, but he gave up three earned runs and failed to record an out.
In the second game of their weekend tournament the Red and White scored all six of their runs during the first four innings, but failed to score again and lost to the Furman Paladins 8-6 in.
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Junior starter Mac Thoreson dropped his second start of the year, as he went four innings while giving up seven runs, all of which were earned. He struck out two while walking three.
"I thought we came out ready to play," Alex Johnson said. "We just didn't put it together until the final game."
The third game was a pitcher's duel, as the teams combined for only seven hits and no earned runs. Miami went on to win the final game 1-0 after an error by Michigan State allowed the ‘Hawks to score and pick up their third victory of the season.
The RedHawks will be on the road during Spring Break, starting with a three game series against Ole Miss. The Rebels are currently 5-1 and are ranked No. 20. That series will be March 2to 4.
"We're going to have to pitch better," Coach Simonds said. "We have some good arms; they just haven't hit their stride yet."
Following the Ole Miss series, the team will play in the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Florida March 6 to 10. The 'Hawks will play four games in the tournament: against Villanova University, Sacred Heart University, the Seton Hall University Pirates and the University of Pittsburgh Panthers. Both the Panthers and the Pirates are 2-4 this year. Sacred Heart is winless while Villanova is 3-3.
The team will also have a game against the "other Miami," the University of Miami Hurricanes while they are in Florida. The Hurricanes are a perfect 10-0 this year and are ranked No. 12 in the nation.
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