Baseball: Smith Drives In Four As Dayton Wins Home Opener

Steve Miller
Sports Editor

Dayton baseball edged out the Eastern Michigan Eagles 11-9 Tuesday afternoon in a slugfest at Woerner Field.

With the wind blowing out, both teams jumped on the ball early and often to combine for 20 runs and 30 hits in the over-three-hour game.

“I liked the fight from our hitters,” commented coach Jayson King after the game.

“In games like that that go back and forth, when the momentum shifts like it did so many times today, sometimes guys can pack it in. And our hitters absolutely didn’t do that.”

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Starting pitcher-turned-designated hitter Brandon Smith led the Flyers with two hits and four runs batted in, including a two-run home run in the first inning to set the tone offensively.

But in the end, aggressive baserunning by infielder Pat Meehan facilitated the go-ahead run for the Flyers. With the game tied at nine in the bottom of the eighth, Meehan lined a hit into left and raced to second on a lazy throw to the infield. Outfielder Mitchell Garrity then hit him home with a single, reaching second himself on the throw home.

Smith then drove in Garrity to add an insurance run.
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“I thought we did some really good things on the bases, to get to second base a couple times in that eighth inning,” King said. “Those are the little things that make the difference.”

The Flyers jumped ahead 6-1 after the first three innings, building off Smith’s early home run. But the Eagles stormed back in the fourth with a one-out grand slam.

Pitcher Tyler Jones relieved Smith on the mound and pitched 2.2 innings in relief, giving up two runs and striking out four.

After the Flyers (2-7) and Eagles (3-9) traded runs in the middle innings, Josh Nixon sealed the game with 2.1 innings of scoreless, one-hit pitching. Nixon (1-2) earned himself and the Flyers the victory.
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“Even though you look at the scoreboard and you see so many runs and a bunch of hits I see it as a positive, somewhat from the pitchers because at least today they competed,” King said.

“But to me, if they compete and we just locate better, that score is going to look totally different than it did.”

What’s Next?

The Flyers’ game against Miami (OH) Wednesday has been postponed to March 27 due to weather concerns. Dayton is still set to face Wright State Friday, 3 p.m at Woerner.

Photo taken by Steve Miller/Sports Editor