Oct. 12, 2006
OXFORD, Ohio - With the conclusion of last weekend's Red and White Fall Softball Classic, the Miami University softball team wrapped up its six-game fall schedule. In a preview of the upcoming 2007 season, the fall slate gave Miami's freshman class its first action at the Division I level and showcased the RedHawks 11 returning letterwinners, including junior Halle Popson, the team's leading hitter last season, and junior Leslie Macedo, the program's single-season RBI record holder.
Miami finished with a 2-3-1 record during its fall season, posting a 3-2 win over Louisville -- which advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of the past three seasons -- and an 8-0, run-rule victory over area rival Dayton. In one of the more dramatic games of its fall season, Miami played to a 3-3 tie with Ohio State, as junior Breanna Robinson clubbed a two-out, seventh-inning home run that turned a two-run deficit into a tie game. The game was called due to a two-hour time limit but helped the RedHawks build their confidence against the Buckeyes, a 2006 NCAA Tournament participant.
Numerous first-year players also impressed in their first action in the Red and White, most notably freshman Alicia Hogl. As one of two RedHawks to start every game this fall, Hogl batted a team-high .438 (7-for-16) with a triple, a home run and five runs scored. She clubbed her first home run, a solo shot, in the third inning of Miami's game against Northern Kentucky, and also notched a pair of hits against Louisville. In the circle, freshmen Meredith Linch and Alex Vikartofsky combined to pitch all six of Miami's fall games, and both players displayed good mound presence and the ability to change speeds and hit spots.
Led by first-year head coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly, the RedHawks open their 2007 campaign Feb. 9 against Central Florida at the Florida Atlantic Invitational. As one of the more consistent programs in the conference, Miami has advanced to the finals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament in three of the past four seasons and won the tournament in 2005, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Over the past four seasons, the RedHawks have produced 11 all-MAC selections, four all-region honorees and averaged 27 wins.
2006 MIAMI SOFTBALL: FALL RESULTS
Sept. 30 - Louisville (DH): L, 12-3; W, 3-2
At Ohio Charity Classic
Oct. 1 - Wright State, Ohio, Ohio State: Cancelled
At Miami Red and White Fall Classic
Oct. 7 - Dayton: W, 8-0
Oct. 7 - Eastern Kentucky: L, 5-0
Oct. 8 - Ohio State; T, 3-3
Oct. 8 - Northern Kentucky: L, 3-1
Overall Record: 2-3-1
