February 28, 2004
FURMAN SPLITS BASEBALL DOUBLEHEADER
WITH MIAMI OF OHIO
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The Furman baseball team split a doubleheader with visiting Miami of Ohio Saturday afternoon at the Furman Baseball Stadium, dropping an 8-1 decision in the opener before rebounding with a 4-1 victory in game two.
In the first game, starting pitchers David Mitchell (Furman) and Graham Taylor (Miami) were locked in a 1-1 pitcher's dual going into the top of the seventh when the RedHawks broke open the game with a three-run inning.
Miami added to its lead in the eighth with three more runs off Furman reliever Patrick Arnett. Courtney Campbell's double to left plated Brian Canada and Ryne Robinson. Campbell came home from second on an infield groundout by Jason Brown for a 7-1 Miami advantage.
Paul Freitch led off the top of the ninth for Miami with a solo home run to right center for the game's final margin of 8-1.
Taylor worked eight innings, giving up just one run on five hits to go along with seven strikeouts to gain his first win (1-0) on the season. Mitchell gave up just one run on six hits in six innings; however, reliever Ryan Hudson took the loss (0-1).
Brown led the visitors with three hits, while Furman center fielder Andrew Greene paced the Paladins with a pair of singles.
In the nightcap, Miami designated hitter John Slone belted a solo shot to left center in the top of the third off Furman starter Kyle Funk to give the RedHawks an early 1-0 lead. Funk, however, settled down the rest of the way and limited Miami to just three hits through the next seven innings.
Hitless through four innings, the Furman bats heated up in the bottom of the fifth with three runs off Miami starting hurler Keith Weiser. Matthew Betsill reached on a one-out double and scored on Steven Hildreth's RBI-single to right. Paul Ortenzo then singled to right center and scored along with Hildreth on Nick Wajda's double down the right field line to put the Paladins ahead 3-1.
Furman added another run when Nick Mershon scored from third on Bertsill's RBI-single in the bottom of the sixth.
Funk (1-1) tossed eight strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits. Reliever Calvin Hurst came on to record the final-three outs and pick up his second save of the season. Weiser (1-1) took the loss after giving up four runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings of work.