April 6, 2008

Box Score

OXFORD, Ohio--It took 12 hits and nine innings for the University of Toledo softball team to edge Miami University in an extra-inning battle at Miami Softball Field on Sunday afternoon. The Rockets claimed a 3-2 win to earn their first win in Mid-American Conference action, moving them to 7-14 on the season and 1-5 in MAC play. Miami dropped to 15-17 overall and 6-2 in the MAC.

After two and a half scoreless innings, Miami put the first run on the board in the bottom of the third inning. Kimberly Williams led off the inning doubling down the leftfield line and advanced to third on a wild pitch, placing her in prime scoring position with no outs. After an infield pop up in the next at-bat, Meghan Mawn stepped to the plate and delivered an RBI single to left field, plating Williams and giving the RedHawks a 1-0 lead.

Toledo came back in the top of the fourth inning to knot the game 1-1 off a Whitney Erickson lead-off home run.

Each team would leave two runners stranded in each of the next two innings and both teams left three runners stranded in the seventh inning, forcing extra innings. Neither team was able to score in the eighth inning.

After an Alison Hess double to left center to start the ninth inning, Toledo took the lead off an RBI triple to right center by Erica Singer that plated Hess and gave the Rockets a 2-1 edge. Toledo added another run to its tally as Erickson doubled to right center, scoring Singer.

Miami threatened in the bottom of the ninth inning. With two outs and runners on second and third, Sarah Billstrom nailed an RBI single to score Mawn, putting the RedHawks within one run of the Rockets, 3-2. A lineout in the next at-bat thwarted the RedHawk comeback as Toledo won the game in extra innings.

Mawn went 3-for-4 at the plate for the RedHawks with one run and one RBI. Lacey LeVier paced the Rockets, going 3-for-5, while Erickson went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run. Hannah Rockhold picked up the win in the circle, giving up two runs, just one earned, off nine hits while striking out six batters.