Miami rallies to beat Xavier with 8 runs in final inning

Photos: 2010 Miami baseball

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By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer Updated 1:40 AM Wednesday, April 14, 2010

OXFORD — It was the kind of baseball game that would have given Joe Nuxhall ample time to lean back in his broadcasting booth, relax and starting telling one of his stories.

A long story. Or two.

Nuxhall was a legendary storyteller, so it was fitting that Miami University honored him Tuesday, April 13, with a storybook ending.

Ryan Kaup’s single to right field brought home Cory Klenke with the run that capped an astonishing comeback by the RedHawks, who scored eight times in the bottom of the ninth inning to stun the Xavier Musketeers 12-11 in the first round of the Joe Nuxhall Classic at McKie Field.

“It showed a lot of character for us to stay in it,” said Miami coach Dan Simonds, whose RedHawks (15-16) will face the Cincinnati Bearcats in the championship game at 6:30 p.m. today at McKie. “To see the team keep playing the game like that, it was good to see.”

“Everything went right,” Kaup said. “Every ball we were hitting was finding the hole.”

Xavier (8-25) had taken an 11-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth after rocking eight different Miami pitchers with 18 hits and also drawing eight walks.

Kaup, the last batter of the inning, also was the first for Miami. He hit a pop-up to the first baseman. An easy catch.

It was dropped. That was the start of it.

By the time it was 11-8, the few dozen fans still in the stands started realizing something special was happening. Then Kevin Bower followed with a run-scoring double, and Zak Hatfield’s two-run single tied it.

Klenke put down a bunt, but Hatfield was forced out at second base for the first out. Then Klenke stole second.

“It was really ironic I ended up getting the last at-bat,” Kaup said. “This was an incredible game.”

But it wasn’t the biggest comeback in Miami history, or even of Simonds’ five seasons as head coach in Oxford.

On May 16, 2008, the RedHawks went into the bottom of the ninth trailing Kent State 16-5 in a doubleheader at McKie Field. Miami scored 12 runs to win 17-16.

Bower finished 4-for-5 with three RBIs. Adam Weisenburger was 2-for-4 with three RBIs for Miami. Kyle Weldon went 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Adam Eaton and Kaup each finished 2-for-5.

Miami junior infielder Brad Gschwind had a ninth-inning single but saw his streak of 85 straight starts come to an end. This season Gschwind has started nine games at second base, 10 at shortstop and 11 at third.

The tournament was named in memory of the late Nuxhall, the longtime Cincinnati Reds pitcher and radio announcer who also was an avid fan of Miami sports.

Kim Nuxhall, son of the Ol’ Left-hander, threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the Miami-Xavier game.

Cincinnati defeated Wright State 6-5 in Tuesday’s first game, scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth inning. Pinch-runner Brian Garman scored the winning run on a wild pitch.