March 29, 2003

Box Score

The Miami softball team (9-12, 3-1) took two from Ohio University (3-10-1, 0-5-1) on Saturday after it squeaked out a 4-3 victory in its first game before crushing the Bobcats, 7-2, in the second game on Miami softball field.

"I'm really proud of how we came to play in both games," said head coach Angie Jacobs. "We came out with energy and were aggressive which really gave us momentum."

In the first game, Ohio got on the board first in the top of the third inning when Sarah Melvin scored on a single by Crystal Turner to give the Bobcats an early 1-0 advantage.

In the fifth, freshman Laura Finell (Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury) opened the inning with a lead-off walk. After a strike out, junior Jamie Carey (Pendleton, Ind./Pendleton Heights) singled to put two runners on. After another strike out, senior Angie Gerber (La Salle, Mich./Mason) walked to load the bases. Finell scored the first run on a passed ball and then Carey came in two pitches later on a wild pitch. Freshman Becca Garcia (Martinez, Calif./College Park) walked and then stole second, allowing Gerber to score when the ball went into centerfield to give Miami a 3-1 lead.

Finell started the rally again in the sixth inning when she and Jess Zogaib (Temperance, Mich./Bedford) hit back-to-back singles with one out. Finell came around to score when the Ohio Bobcat third baseman over-threw the first baseman to make the score 4-1.

The Bobcats rallied in the top of the seventh to make it a one-run game, but freshman Courtney Salmon (Auburn, Wash./Auburn) was able to finish off the Bobcats for her seventh win of the season. Salmon (7-5) allowed zero earned runs while striking out four Ohio batters through seven innings.

Gerber didn't waste much time in putting the Red and White on the board in the second game. After Carey led off the game with a single down the left field line and junior Jacque Molinaro (Follansbee, W.Va./Brooke) was hit by a pitch, Gerber pulled a shot down the right field line for a three-run home run. Gerber's fourth home run of the year cleared two batting cages beyond the fence to give Miami an early 3-0 lead in the bottom-half of the first inning.

""I've never seen someone hit a ball that far on this field," said Jacobs.

The RedHawks added to their lead in the third when sophomore Jackie Poggendorf (Phoenix, Ariz/Shadow Mountain) walked, stole second and then scored off a double by sophomore Keri McCready (Phoenix, Ariz./North Canyon).

In the sixth, Miami struck again after Carey reached first base on a past ball following a strike out. Carey stole her ninth base of the season and then scored when the Bobcat shortstop overthrew the first baseman on a Molinaro ground out.

Miami led 7-0 heading into the top of the seventh until Ohio managed back-to-back-to-back doubles to score two runs. Poggendorf (2-7) struck out a season-high 10 batters on her way to earning her second victory of the season.

"Ohio is tough and scrappy," said Jacobs. "They come to play every game and it's no surprise that they made a run at the end of both games."

Carey upped her average by going 4-for-7 with three runs scored on the afternoon, while Gerber went 3-for-7 with three RBI and three runs scored.

"We had some great performances today," said Jacobs. "Courtney was awesome in the first game and Jackie did a great job of keeping the batters off balance in the second game. Keri McCready came to play today and hit the ball hard. Laura Finell was aggressive and played a great right field."

With Miami's two wins, they improve their record to 9-12 and 3-1 in the MAC. Ohio, the preseason MAC East favorite, drops to 3-12-1 and 0-5-1 in the MAC. Also, Miami takes its record to 20-7 over the Bobcats in the "Battle of the Bricks," which is a running tally kept of all the head-to-head meetings between the RedHawks and Bobcats this season.

The RedHawks will go for the sweep on Sunday at 1 p.m. on Miami Softball Field.

"Our challenge is to carry it out tomorrow and finish the series," said Jacobs.