ATHENS, Ohio ? The visiting Miami RedHawks came away with 7-4 and 6-5 decisions in the first Mid-American Conference contests of the season Saturday at Bob Wren Stadium.

The Bobcats (3-12, 0-2 MAC) out-hit Miami 11-to-10 in the first game and 14-to-7 in the second, but were never able to break through with a big inning in either game as they left a combined 18 runners on base in the losses. Meanwhile, the RedHawks (11-9, 2-0 MAC) got 16 innings out of their two starting pitchers that allowed just five earned runs despite giving up 22 hits.

?We?ve got to give Miami credit, they?re an outstanding team,? said Ohio Head Coach Joe Carbone. ?They had some outstanding pitching, but I thought we swung the bats as well as we?ve done all year.?

Jared Willis (Logan W.Va.) went a combined 4-for-5 at the plate for Ohio in a reserve role while Ben Crabtree (Roxbury, Conn.) and Anthony Gressick (Lancaster, Ohio) each finished 3-for-9. John Slone finished 3-for-8 with 4 RBIs for Miami.

The two defeats sent Ohio to their sixth- and seventh-consecutive losses while the RedHawks have won seven of their last nine contests.

?We?re right there, we?re as good as anybody else, we just shot ourselves in the foot with base running and had a couple of tough breaks,? said Carbone.

The Bobcats and Miami will meet in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Bob Wren Stadium with first pitch at 1 p.m.

Game 1: Miami 7, Ohio 4
A three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth was not enough for the Bobcats as they dropped their first MAC contest of the year by the final of 7-4 to rival Miami.

With two outs in their final at-bat, five-straight Bobcats reached base to push home three runs. Brian White (Frankfort, Ohio) homered over the left field wall to get the rally started and singles by Jon Vondrell (Centerville, Ohio), Willis, and Bryant Witt (Powell, Ohio) extended the inning. A walk to Phil Sabatini (Oakmont, Pa.) had runners on first and second, but Brian Colopy (Columbus, Ohio) grounded out to Miami pitcher Keith Weiser to end the threat and the game.

Miami got on the board first on the strength of a two-run shot by Paul Freitch over the right center field wall in the top of the second. They added two more in the fifth with help from two Ohio errors.

The Bobcats? first tally of the day came in the bottom of the fifth with a leadoff double by White getting things started. After two groundouts, Witt singled to right field to bring home White and cut the Miami lead to 4-1.

Miami added insurance runs in the eight and ninth innings that would ultimately prove to be the difference in the game.

Derek Witt (Powell, Ohio) (1-2) took the loss for Ohio after allowing four earned runs on seven hits in eight innings of work, his longest outing of the season.

Weiser (2-0) finished with his second-straight complete game for Miami. He finished with four strikeouts and a walk while allowing three earned runs on 11 hits.

Game 2: Miami 6, Ohio 5
For the first time in five games, the Bobcats got on the board first, but their early 2-0 lead lasted only two innings as they were sent to their seventh-straight loss in the second game of the doubleheader by a final of 6-5.

RBI singles by Crabtree and White in the first inning gave the Bobcats a 2-0 advantage in the first inning, but they left the first two of 11 runners on base for the day.

Miami regained the lead in the top of the third by plating three runs on two hits and were aided by Ohio?s first error of the game. All three runs came home on a three-run homer by John Slone over the left field wall off Bobcat starter Rob Harmon (Villa Hills, Ky.).

Three more tallies over the fourth and fifth innings made the deficit 6-2 for Ohio, but the Bobcats chipped away with two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth.

Gressick?s double off the right center field wall brought home Colopy to make it 6-3 and Crabtree followed with a single down the left field line to bring Ohio within two. White lined into a double play, however, to end the threat.

Singles by Witt and Willis and a third by Willie Walker (Marysville, Ohio) to bring home Witt got things rolling for Ohio in the bottom of the eighth but Gressick?s deep fly to center field with the bases loaded proved to be the Bobcats? last gasp.

Miami?s Connor Graham retired all three Bobcat batters in the bottom of the ninth to earn the save.

Harmon (2-2) suffered his second-straight loss after the RedHawks got six runs, one earned, on five hits in 4 2/3 innings. Graham Taylor (2-0) earned the victory for Miami after limiting the Bobcats to four runs, two earned, on 11 hits.