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Sports TwitterCOLLEGE BASEBALL MIAMI 13, AKRON 0
Senior Day a happy one for RedHawks as they shut out Zips
East graduate Day throws six shutout innings as Miami builds momentum for tourney.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
OXFORD — The Miami RedHawks wrapped up their regular season Saturday afternoon with Senior Day at McKie Field.
As Senior Days go, this one was spectacular.
Extras
Miami rocked the Akron Zips 13-0 behind seniors Jeff Day, who pitched six shutout innings, and Brandon Hillier, Dan Leonard and Jeff Carroll, who combined to reach base six times in nine plate appearances.
Sophomore catcher Eric Darlage also had a hot bat, going 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs for Miami, which improved to 31-22 overall, 16-9 in the Mid-American Conference.
Miami will take a head of steam into this week's MAC tournament as the No. 4 seed. The RedHawks have won two straight and five of their last seven; over its last 13 innings, Miami has outscored Akron 18-0.
"I feel the team is ready and we're going to give it everything we've got," Miami coach Dan Simonds said.
"It's all a matter of getting hot at the right time," said Day, a graduate of Lakota East High School.
The RedHawks will play their first-round game on Wednesday in Ypsilanti, Mich. They will face third-seeded Central Michigan at 10 a.m.
Eastern Michigan clinched the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage by finishing with the best MAC record (21-4) in either division.
Day, who boosted his record to 3-2, has been on a roll over the last few weeks. On Saturday, he allowed only three singles and a walk, and in four of his six innings he faced the minimum of three batters.
It hasn't always been so easy for Day. Earlier this season, he had been getting hit hard and often.
"You lose your confidence a little bit, but I'm getting my health back now. I was struggling with a little bit of a back injury," Day explained. "It feels a lot better."
Teaming with Day for the shutout were Edgewood High grad Chase Stewart, Steve Antoniotti, Jamaal Hollis and senior Bailey Pratt, who threw three wicked pitches to end the game with a strikeout.
Akron starter Patrick Gliha got himself into trouble in the top of the first inning when he hit two of the first four Miami batters (Hillier and Carroll). A two-run single by Leonard and run-scoring singles by Darlage and Blake Chaffee made it 4-0.
If it was a rough day for Gliha, it was a painful day for the RedHawks. Before Gliha was pulled in the fourth inning, he had hit a total of four batters.
Darlage added to the onslaught in the sixth inning with a two-run homer, his team-leading fifth of the season. The RedHawks made it 13-0 in the eighth on the strength of doubles by Chris Rodriguez and J.D. Mynhier and a two-run homer to center by Tommy Nurre.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.
