HAMILTON, Ohio –Baseball used a total of 17 runs over two games to sweep Miami-Hamilton on Wednesday. Playing on Foundation Field, the Bears (20-17) defeated the Harriers 10-0 in game one, before taking game two, 7-5. It was the third time Shawnee State came out triumphant over Miami-Hamilton this season and moved the team one game over .500 away from Branch Rickey Park (8-7).
Although the Bears took the opening game by a final of 10-0, the two teams went scoreless into the fourth inning. This was after Bears starter Taylor Smith got out of a bases loaded one-out jam in the bottom of the first with two fly balls to center field.
In the top of the fourth, the Bears got their inning started with back-to-back walks by Colin Keim and Cody Spires before a Daniel Katayama single would load the bases with one out. Jordan Maier made it back-to-back singles in the next at-bat, bringing home the first two runs of the game, while Aaron Suydam doubled to bring home two more after a Dustin Bickmeyer single. The final run of the inning came on a Todd Queener sacrifice fly that gave the Bears a 5-0 lead after their half of the fourth.
The top of the fifth inning played out very similar to the fourth. With one out, Keim double while Spires singled and Katayama walked to load the bases with one out for Maier again. He would again single, this time bringing home one run. Bickmeyer would followed that up with a two-RBI single while Suydam would drive home the fourth and final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly.
The Bears would add one more in the top of the sixth while the SSU pitching took care of the rest. Smith would end up going six innings and allow just three hits, only one of which came after the first inning. Andrew Kidd would work the bottom of the seventh and pitch a perfect frame to lock up the 10-0 victory.
In the opening victory, the Bears pounded out 13 hits. Stringing their hits together in the fourth and fifth innings, the Bears fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth and ninth hitters in the lineup (Keim, Spires, Maier, Bickmeyer and Suydam) all finished with two hits. Maier and Suydam each finished with three RBI while Bickmeyer also drove home two.
The second game was a reversal of the trend in the opening game as the Bears scored three runs in each of the first two innings before holding off the Harriers in the 7-5 victory. Walks to three of the first four hitters to start the second game would load the bases with one out in the top of the first. Spires would then unload the bases with a three-RBI double to stake the Bears to an early 3-0 lead.
SSU would then capitalize on defensive lapses by the Harriers in the second. Maier reached on an error to start the inning and would be moved up into scoring position on a groundout before scoring on a Tyler Bice single. In the ensuing at-bat, Joe Henderson would triple and eventually come around to score on an error on the play to put the Bears up 6-0.
The Bears lone inning in which they conceded a run in the doubleheader would come in the bottom of the fifth. That inning would see the Harriers put up five runs after three hits, a pair of hit-by-pitches and a walk helped cut the lead to 7-5 after five innings.
However, Jordan Williams and Spires would turn away any further Miami-Hamilton rallies in the sixth and seventh innings as the Bears picked up the daily sweep.
Using a predetermined pitching rotation in the second game, Jake Huber picked up his second win of the season after pitching three scoreless innings. Brandon Bonar, Williams and Spires each worked scoreless inning appearances as well. Spires finished off the game and was credited with his first career save in the victory.
The Bears will be back in action this weekend for another home weekend of Mid-South play. SSU will welcome the University of the Cumberlands this Friday for a single game at 4 p.m. and a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon.
