April 17, 2010
Final Stats
KENT, Ohio - Miami and Kent State battled through two rain delays and 19 innings worth of softball Friday, but 32 runners left on base by the RedHawks proved costly as the Golden Flashes won the first game 5-1 and the nightcap 2-1 in 12 innings. Miami falls to 19-18 overall and 4-4 in the Mid-American Conference. Kent State improves to 19-16 overall and 6-2 in the MAC.
Meredith Linch pitched arguably the best game of her career in the second game. She went 11.1 innings, giving up only four hits and one earned run while striking out eight.
Miami got its run in the top of the first inning. With one out, Meghan Mawn singled though the left side. Alicia Hogl walked to move Mawn over to second. One batter later, Kathryn Russette singled to second base, while an error by the second baseman on the play allowed Mawn to score.
Meanwhile Linch kept the Golden Flashes off the bases, allowing only a fourth inning home run. Once the game reached the 10th inning, the international tiebreaker rule was put into effect. That meant that each inning started with a runner on second base and no one out. Despite that neither team was able to bring a run home until the bottom of the 12th inning. A bunt single moved the Golden Flashes' runner up to third base and one batter later Beth Cinadr singled to score the winning run.
Mawn finished the game 2-for-5 with one run scored. Sarah Billstrom had a career-high four walks.
In the opener, Kent State was able to score three runs in the first two innings off starter Jessica Simpson. A one hour rain delay took place in the third inning, and once the game resumed Simpson was able to settle down, keeping the Golden Flashes off the board for the next three innings.
Unfortunately for Miami, Kent State was able to tack on two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The RedHawks got on the board in the top of the seventh when Billstrom singled home Daniela Torres.
Billstrom finished the game 2-for-4 with one RBI. Mawn was 2-for-3.
Miami returns to action on Saturday with a single game at Buffalo starting at 2 p.m.
