March 16, 2007
Box Score
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Unable to sustain its momentum after a fast start, the Miami University softball team (7-17; 0-0 MAC) fell to the Utah Utes, 4-2, Friday afternoon at the Aztec Classic. Miami scored a pair of runs in the top of the first inning before Utah plated four unanswered runs and handed the RedHawks their second straight loss in San Diego.
In a meeting with former Miami mentor and current Utah head coach Angie Jacobs, the Utes won a closely contested game by scoring the eventual winning run in the bottom of the third inning. Miami's 1-2-3 hitters again turned in an impressive performance, finishing 5-for-12 and scoring both of the team's runs.
Miami grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning as it plated a pair of runs with two outs. Junior Halle Popson led off the game by lofting a single into short leftfield, and after senior Leslie Macedo singled with one out, a groundout to the pitcher moved both runners into scoring position. Junior Breanna Robinson followed with a clutch two-out, two-RBI single, plating both Popson and Macedo.
Utah knotted the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the first with after Staci Hemingway's two-RBI double, and the Utes moved in front, 3-2, in the bottom of the second on the strength of an unearned run. After a leadoff double by Tori Medina to open the frame, a throwing error on Kelly Matthews' grounder brought Medina home from second and put the RedHawks in a one-run hole.
The Utes tacked on another run in the bottom of the third on a one-out RBI single, extending their lead to 4-2.
Miami put runners on base in the second, fifth, sixth and seventh innings but was unable to push across a run after the first inning. The RedHawks had the go-ahead run on first base with two outs in the seventh inning, but a strikeout ended the game.
Popson (2-for-4), freshman Alicia Hogl (2-for-4) and Robinson (2-for-3) each notched multi-hit games.
Freshman Alex Vikartofsky (0-4) took the loss in the circle.
Seeking its first win of the Aztec Classic, Miami faces Iona (11:30 p.m.) and Fordham (2:00 p.m.) tomorrow at the SDSU Softball Stadium. All the action is available on GAMETRACKER and can be accessed through MURedHawks.com.
