Junior Eric Darlage

April 16, 2008

OXFORD, Ohio - Miami University's baseball team used a five-run third inning to earn its second win in a row as the RedHawks defeated Xavier University, 7-2, Wednesday evening. Junior Eric Darlage led the RedHawks with three hits, including two RBIs, and Miami scored seven runs on 11 hits.

After going scoreless in the first two innings, Miami (11-23) broke out with five runs in the third inning. Senior Evan Armitage led off the inning with an infield hit and Armitage scored quickly as Miami's next batter, junior Jordan Petraitis, drove in Armitage with a double to right field. Junior Chris Nadeau followed with a single to left field, placing runners on the corners with no outs. Two batters later, junior J.D. Mynhier drilled a single to the third baseman, allowing Petraitis to score and moving Nadeau to second base. Both Nadeau and Mynhier moved up a base on a wild pitch, before Darlage looped a two-RBI single into center field to increase Miami's advantage to 4-0. A wild pitch moved Darlage into scoring position and freshman John Hornke delivered a RBI single through the right side of the infield to increase Miami's lead to 5-0.

In the fourth inning, Nadeau came to the plate and belted a solo home run to right-center field, extending Miami's cushion to 5-0.

Xavier (14-19) got on the board with two runs in the sixth inning, but Miami tacked on a run in the sixth, courtesy of a Musketeer error, taking a 7-2 lead into the seventh inning.

Darlage drove in two runs and had a team-high three hits, while Petraitis and Nadeau collected two hits and drove in one run apiece.

The RedHawks return to Mid-American action this weekend when the Red and White travel to Buffalo, N.Y. for a three-game series with the Buffalo Bulls. The series begins with a 7 p.m. start on Friday, April 18 and continues with 1 p.m. starts on Saturday, April 19 and Sunday, April 20.