March 6, 2010
Final Stats
BOCA RATON, Fla. - The Miami softball team dropped its first extra innings contest of the year Saturday evening at the Miken Classic. The RedHawks were defeated 4-3 at the hands of the host school, Florida Atlantic. Miami falls to 5-5 on the season, while the Owls improve to 8-9.
Jessica Simpson pitched well for the RedHawks allowing only one run in the bottom of the second and a homer to lead off the bottom of the fourth before the game went into extra innings. She struck out five on the day and gave up five hits in 7.1 innings pitched.
Miami got its two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Jenna McGivney led the frame off with a single. Lindsay Randall came into the game to pinch run for her. Daniela Torres followed with a triple to right center to bring Randall home. Torres scored when the catcher tried to pick her off and threw the ball away.
With the score tied at two after seven innings the teams played the extra frame under international tiebreaker rules. That means the last batter from the previous inning is placed at second base in order to try and speed up the result.
In the top of the eighth Alicia Hogl started the frame at second base. She advanced to third on a wild pitch, but was unable to score after Kathryn Russette singled to the shortstop. Russette moved into scoring position by stealing second base. The next batter, Shannon Tillett, grounded the ball to first base, but the first baseman threw to home to get Hogl. Russette advanced to third on the play and Ashley Zappia sacrificed her home on the next play.
In the bottom of the inning an error on Simpson allowed the runner on second to score immediately while putting another runner on second. Simpson forced the next batter to groundout, but a triple brought another Owl run home and gave Florida Atlantic the 4-3 victory.
Russette had a great day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one run scored. McGivney was 2-for-4, while Torres was 1-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored.
Two challenging games await the RedHawks Sunday during the final day of the Miken Classic. It starts at 9 a.m. when Miami takes on 18th-ranked Florida State. The RedHawks will follow it up with a 3 p.m. match against Michigan State.
