April 27, 2007

Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2

OXFORD, Ohio - Splitting a Friday doubleheader with the Central Michigan Chippewas (19-18; 6-6 MAC), the Miami University softball team (21-32-1; 9-7 MAC) extended its season-best winning streak to seven games with a 3-1 victory in the opener before falling, 4-1, in the nightcap. Miami received a sterling pitching effort from freshman Meredith Linch in game one, as she tossed a complete-game three-hitter, but Central Michigan's three-run sixth inning sunk Miami in the game two loss.

GAME 1 - Miami 3, CMU 1
Box Score

Freshman Meredith Linch threw a complete-game three-hitter and freshman Alicia Hogl's two-run second-inning home run proved to be the difference as Miami downed Central Michigan, 3-1, in Friday's first game. The victory extended Miami's season-best winning streak to seven games.

Linch lowered her conference ERA to 1.49 by allowing only one earned run and scattering three hits, with her only blemish being a Central Michigan solo home run in the fourth inning. Linch struck out four and walked four, and her pitching effort marked the 10th time in 11 Mid-American Conference starts that she allowed two earned runs or less.

Miami jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on Hogl's team-leading eighth home run of the season. With two outs and junior Breanna Robinson on first, Hogl drove a 1-0 changeup from Central Michigan's Ali Pettit deep over the centerfield wall, extending her hitting streak to five games. The home run moved her into sole possession of second place on the Miami single-season list and accounted for her 20th and 21st RBIs of the season.

Capitalizing on a Central Michigan fielding error in the bottom of the third, Miami extended its advantage to 3-0. Junior Halle Popson led off the inning with a line drive to leftfield that Central Michigan's Suzie Giroux misplayed, and after the ball clipped off the top of Giroux's glove, Popson scampered into second base. A sacrifice bunt moved Popson to third with one out, and senior Leslie Macedo brought her home with an opposite-field RBI single.

After being held hitless through the first three innings, Central Michigan broke through and notched its first run of the game when Amy Hudson led of the fourth with a solo home run to centerfield.

The two teams played scoreless softball after Hudson's home run, with Linch retiring the final six Chippewas in order to seal the victory.

Hogl (2-for-3) had a pair of hits and two RBIs, while Macedo (1-for-2) and Robinson (1-for-3) notched Miami's only other hits of the game.

Game 2 - CMU 4, Miami 1
Box Score

Central Michigan's three-run sixth inning, highlighted by a three-RBI double from Jacque Benedict, sunk Miami in the Chippewas' 4-1 victory. Despite being held hitless by Miami starter Shalise Lugo over the first 5.1 innings, Central Michigan's timely hitting and the pitching of Kari Seddon, who allowed one earned run in 7.0 innings, stopped Miami's winning streak at seven games.

Lugo retired the first 11 batters of the game before issuing a two-out walk to Hudson in the top of the fourth. Lugo stranded Hudson and kept the game scoreless by inducing a groundout from Benedict to end the inning.

After stranding four runners over the first three innings, Miami finally broke the scoreless deadlock in the bottom of the fourth on junior Kimberly Williams' RBI double. Hogl walked to open the inning, and after a failed sacrifice bunt attempt, Williams lined the 1-1 pitch from Seddon to the wall in right centerfield. Sprinting all the way around from first, the speedy Hogl scored standing up, giving Miami a 1-0 lead.

Lugo held the Chippewas hitless until the top of the sixth inning when they plated three runs and took a 3-1 lead. A one-out single gave Central Michigan its second base runner of the game, and following a fielder's choice, the Chippewas drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Benedict then followed with a bases-clearing double off the wall in rightfield, turning Miami's one-run lead into a two-run deficit.

Central Michigan tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Stephanie Crews homered to centerfield with one out.

Miami managed five hits in the contest, with Williams driving in the RedHawks' lone run. Miami put runners on base in six of the seven innings but pushed across only one run and stranded seven runners.

The RedHawks resume conference action tomorrow at 2 p.m. when they host the Eastern Michigan Eagles. The game will be broadcast on MSNI by Steve Baker and available on GAMETRACKER.