Wheeler Drives in Winning Run in 5-4 Victory Over Skyhawks

Friday, March 15

Murray, Ky.

3 p.m.

Murray State

8-10, 2-2

UT Martin

7-10, 1-3

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
UT Martin	0	0	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	4	10	0
Murray State	0	0	3	1	0	0	1	0	X	5	7	0

Photo by: Samantha Mohr

Wheeler Drives in Winning Run in 5-4 Victory Over Skyhawks

3/15/2013 6:13:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

| PHOTO GALLERY

Murray State senior second baseman Dylan Wheeler drove in the winning run with a groundout to second in the bottom of the seventh as the Breds handed UT Martin a 5-4 defeat Friday afternoon in the opening game of a three-game series at Reagan Field.

Taylor Mathews started the inning by hitting a single up the middle and went to second when Brandon Eggenschwiler followed with a single through the right side. After a Mike Kozlowski sacrifice bunt, Wheeler hit a grounder to the second baseman that was bobbled, and was forced to throw to first and allow the run to score.

UTM threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth as they hit back-to-back one-out singles off reliever Will Handlin. Handlin settled in from there as he got a flyout to center field, and then got a weak grounder to second to end game.

Handlin (2-3) earned the victory after allowing five hits and striking out three over three innings.

The Skyhawks (7-10, 1-3 OVC) got on the board in the third inning as back-to-back walks with two outs came around to score on a Wade Collins double to straight-away center field.

The Breds (8-10, 2-2 OVC) responded in the home-half of the inning as Paul Ritzheimer doubled into the gap in right center to start the inning. After a walk to Ty Stetson, and a sacrifice bunt by Mathews, Eggenschwiler walked to load the bases. A wild pitch allowed the runner to score from third, and Kozlowski followed with an RBI single to right field. Wheeler drove in the third run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to center field.

MSU added another run in the fourth as Nick Paradossi delivered a leadoff home run to left center. It was his second home run this week after hitting one in the series opener against Northern Illinois.

UTM tied the game in the top of the fifth as Matt Haynes hit a solo home run to left center to start the inning. Grant Glasser doubled to left center with one out and scored on Byron Johann's RBI single up the middle.

Cameron Finch got the start for the Breds and gave up four runs on five hits and four strikeouts over six innings.

Chris Ross (2-1) suffered the loss after giving up one run on three hits and one walk over two innings.

Paradossi was the only Bred to collect two hits, while Wheeler drove in a pair of runs. Stetson saw his eight-game hit streak come to an end after going 0-for-1 with three walks.

The two teams will now conclude the series with a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. The threat of rain in the Murray area Saturday night and all day Sunday forced the coaches to make the decision after Friday's game concluded.