March 31, 2006

Box Score

OXFORD, Ohio - Despite a quality outing from freshman starting pitcher Kelly Cabana (Irvine,Calif.), the Miami University softball team (13-19; 0-1 MAC) dropped its home and Mid-American Conference opener to Ohio, 2-0, Friday afternoon. Cabana tossed a complete-game six hitter but was outdone by Ohio starting pitcher Michelle Sauter, as she allowed only two hits in a complete-game shutout of the RedHawks.

After both teams went quietly in the first two innings, Ohio broke the scoreless deadlock with a single run in the top of third. Marian Davis led off the inning with a double to centerfield, and after a flyout, she moved to third on a groundout to the right side. With two outs, pinch hitter Kristin Salvatore dribbled a groundball into the hole at second base which was handled, but overthrown at first, allowing Davis to score and stake the Bobcats to a 1-0 lead.

Ohio extended its lead to 2-0 in the top of the fourth on a RBI sacrifice fly. The Bobcats loaded the bases with one out on back-to-back singles and a fielder's choice, but the RedHawks limited them to only the single run and stayed within striking distance.

The Bobcats loaded the bases again in the fifth inning, but Cabana worked out of the jam without allowing a run. Back-to-back singles and a two-out walk filled the bases for Ohio, but a line drive from Robin Miller was snagged by sophomore rightfielder Christine Bills (Canal Fulton, Ohio) for the third out of the inning.

The RedHawks escaped their third bases-loaded jam of the afternoon in the sixth as Cabana wiggled out of trouble with the help of her defense. With two outs and the Bobcats threatening to tack on more runs, Kelly Rodriguez ripped a hard grounder to third base that was knocked down by junior Leslie Macedo (Livermore, Calif.). Macedo then stepped on third for the force out, ending Ohio's scoring threat.

Miami brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh after sophomore Halle Popson (Solon, Ohio) singled back through the middle with two outs, but Sauter, who owns the second lowest earned-run average in the MAC, ended the game with a strikeout.

Cabana (3-8) was tagged with the loss despite turning in her best performance of the season in the circle. In her third complete game of the year, Cabana struck out four and scattered six hits.

Popson (1-for-3) and senior Kristen Hays (1-for-2) were the only RedHawks to notch hits in the game.