March 30, 2007
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
AKRON, Ohio - Earning a split in its Mid-American Conference opening doubleheader, the Miami University softball team (10-24-1; 1-1 MAC) fell to the Akron Zips (9-12; 1-1 MAC) in game one, 4-3, before rebounding for a 5-0 win in game two. Akron used three seventh-inning runs to post a walkoff win in the twinbill's first game before Miami freshman Shalise Lugo tossed a complete-game four hitter in the nightcap to lift Miami to its first conference win of the season.
Game 1 - Akron 4, Miami 3
Three Akron runs in the bottom of the seventh inning erased a two-run deficit and lifted the Zips to a 4-3 win over Miami in game one of the RedHawks' MAC-opening doubleheader. Miami led 3-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh before a leadoff home run and a two-out, two-RBI double lifted Akron to a walkoff win.
Freshman Meredith Linch got off to a hot start in the circle as she struck out the first three batters she faced, and Miami pushed out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second as it took advantage of a two-out Akron error. Junior Natalie Savona led of the inning with a double to the rightfield gap, and after being moved to third, Zips' shortstop Kelsie Hanson had trouble handling freshman Sarah Billstrom's sharp groundball, which allowed Savona to score from third.
Miami tacked on another run in the top of the third inning and extended its lead to 2-0 with the help of another Akron error. Junior Halle Popson's one-out single started the inning, and after advancing to second on a wild pitch, senior Leslie Macedo laced a single to centerfield. Akron's Lisa McLean fielded the ball cleanly and came up to throw the ball back to the infield, but she inadvertently spiked the ball into the ground behind second base, allowing Popson to race home from third.
Akron's third error of the game plated Miami's third run in the top of the fourth when an errant throw on a squeeze bunt attempt by junior Christine Bills scored Billstrom. Billstrom's triple into the rightfield gap with one out set up the squeeze bunt situation, and after Bills bunted back to the pitcher, Lindsay Bodeker's underhanded toss sailed over the catcher's head, giving Miami a 3-0 advantage.
After Akron cut Miami's lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth following a two-out fielding error, Linch put up back-to-back scoreless innings before Jaclyn Spirtos' home run ended her no-hit bid in the bottom of the seventh. Spirtos' towering home run to leftfield to lead off the seventh was the Zips' first hit of the game and cut Miami's lead to 3-2.
The Zips followed with a one-out single but were down to their final out of the game before a two-out walk and double from Lisa McLean scored the tying and winning runs.
Popson (2-for-4) and Billstrom (2-for-3) both had multi-hit games for Miami. Linch tossed six no-hit innings before being relived in the seventh by Lugo (1-4), who took the loss in the circle.
Game 2 - Miami 5, Akron 0
Freshman Shalise Lugo threw a complete-game four hitter and juniors Christine Bills and Breanna Robinson each hit home runs as Miami secured a 5-0 win for its first conference victory of the season. Lugo scattered four singles and allowed only two runners to advance into scoring position as the RedHawks won for the second time in three games.
Each team went quietly the first time through the batting order as both starting pitchers faced the minimum number of batters through the first three innings. Miami finally broke through in the top of the fourth inning when Popson's bloop single over the outstretched arms of Akron second baseman Krista Hanson accounted for the first hit of the game, but the RedHawks could not capitalize on the hit.
Junior Breanna Robinson ended the scoreless deadlock and gave Miami a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth when she blasted a two-run home run over the leftfield fence. Robinson drove the 1-0 pitch for her third home run of the season, and the pair of runs batted in gave her 18 RBIs for the season.
Miami tacked on another run in the top of the sixth on Billstrom's two-out RBI triple, extending its edge to 3-0. After the RedHawks' first two batters were retired in order, Macedo laced a single to rightfield before Billstrom tripled off the base of wall in center, plating Macedo all the way from first. It was Billstrom's third triple of the year and sixth RBI of the season.
A pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning pushed Miami's lead to 5-0. Bills led of the inning with her first home run of the season, a towering fly ball over the leftfield fence, and freshman Alicia Hogl added a two-out RBI single to plate Robinson, who had reached on a fielding error by the shortstop.
Lugo (2-4) bounced back to pick up the win in game two of the twinbill, as she tossed a complete-game four hitter. It was her fourth complete-game effort of the season.
Bills (2-for-3) was the only Miamian with a multi-hit game, while Robinson finished with a pair of RBIs.
Miami resumes conference play when it travels to Ohio for single games on Saturday and Sunday. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. tomorrow in Athens.
