Spring Break
Petraitis double powers 7-run inning as 'Hawks snap skid
Dan Kukla
Issue date: 4/4/08 Section: Sports
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The win was bolstered by a seven-run eighth inning in which the RedHawks took a commanding 10-2 lead. A series of hit batters, singles and walks brought in three runs and loaded the bases. Infielder Jordan Petraitis then ripped a bases-clearing double into left-center field to give the 'Hawks a 9-2 cushion. Junior Ben Eubank drove in Petraitis with a double but was thrown out at third base trying to extend his hit into a triple.
With an eight run lead heading into the bottom of the eighth, Miami had the game seemingly in hand. However, a four-run Bearcat frame that very inning followed by two more tallies in the ninth gave the RedHawks a fair amount of anxiety before it was all over.
"I think a lot of guys were like, 'Oh my God, it's happening again'," junior outfielder Chris Nadeau said. "You almost had to laugh about it. But it's good that we stopped the bleeding and actually get the win."
Miami has dropped a staggering amount of close contests this season. The team has lost seven games this year by just one run. The trend has been extremely frustrating for the team who had become used to doing well over the past two seasons.
"It's almost to the point where we forgot what winning was like," junior infielder Tommy Nurre said. "The fact that it has happened so many times-you get to the late innings and it will be a one run game and you think ,'OK, here we go again.'"
Beyond putting a stop to their six game skid, the win was especially gratifying to many Miami players because of their opponent. The RedHawks have five players on their roster who are from Cincinnati which makes a victory over the Bearcats all the
more meaningful.
"We have a lot of Cincinnati guys so we're always pumped up to take it to 'em," Nadeau said.
For players who are from the area, the competing against UC often means battling against friends in a personal rivalry.
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