Miami University
Quinnipiac
RedHawks Gain Two Wins at San Diego Classic
3/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 13, 2009
SAN DIEGO - The Miami softball team got back on the winning track Friday with two wins at the San Diego Classic Tournament. The RedHawks defeated Northern Colorado 6-1 in the opener and followed it up with a 3-0 win over Quinnipiac. Miami is now 12-7 on the season.
Junior pitcher Meredith Linch kept the RedHawks in the opener against Northern Colorado. She gave up only one in the top of the second inning, while holding the Bears to seven hits and striking out three.
Miami was unable to get on the board until exploding for six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. With runners on first and third, Meghan Mawn singled to score the tying run. The next batter, Jenna McGivney, reach on an error which scored Ashley Gartland. Two batters later the bases were loaded, and Lauren Odom walked to bring home another run. Briana Burke hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1, while Sarah Billstrom and Odom concluded the scoring for the RedHawks, coming home on an error and a wild pitch respectively.
After allowing a couple of base runners in the top of the seventh, Linch was able to get the final Northern Colorado batter to fly out to left field to clinch the win.
Billstrom was the leading hitter for Miami, going 2-for-3 with one run scored.
The RedHawks did not wait as long to get on the board against Quinnipiac scoring in the first inning. Mawn doubled to score Jordan McElroy. In the top of the fifth McGivney singled to score McElroy and in the top of the seventh, McGivney hit a sacrifice fly to score McElroy.
Freshman pitcher Jessica Simpson rebounded from a tough outing the day to before to shutout the Bobcats. She gave up only four hits while striking out eight. McGivney finished the day 1-for-3 with two RBI, while McElroy was 2-for-3 with three runs scored.
Miami concludes play at the San Diego Classic with two games on Saturday. The RedHawks will take on New Mexico State at Noon (EDT), followed by a 2:30 p.m. game against Cal-State Northridge. Those games will be played at San Diego State University.
