April 19, 2011
Final Stats
OXFORD, Ohio - Strong performances all around highlighted Miami's doubleheader sweep of Butler Tuesday night. The RedHawks took the first game, 3-0, and came back to win the nightcap, 7-1. Miami improves to 21-17 on the season, while the Bulldogs fell to 25-17.
Fresh off winning her fifth MAC East Division Pitcher of the Week award earlier in the day, junior Jessica Simpson pitched her third career one-hitter in earning the victory in the opener. She took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, with Lauren McNulty ending the bid with a slow dribbler to second base that she was able to just barely beat out. Simpson befuddled the Butler bats all-night long, finishing one short of her career high with 14 strikeouts to improve to 18-11 on the season.
Miami scored all of its runs in the bottom of the third inning. Daniela Torres led off the frame with a single through the left side, and advanced to second on an error by the Bulldog leftfielder. A Kirstie Fehrenbach bunt single put runners on first and third with no one out. Fehrenbach then stole second base as the catcher's throw sailed into center field, allowing Torres to come home with the game's first run. A Jenna McGivney single moved Fehrenbach over to third and after a Meghan Mawn groundout moved McGivney to second base, Allie Larrabee brought home both runners with a single to left center.
Larrabee finished the first game 2-for-3 with two RBI. Torres was 2-for-3 with one run scored.
The RedHawks jumped on Butler for five runs in the bottom of the first of the nightcap. Torres led off the inning with a double to deep center field. Fehrenbach moved her over with a sacrifice bunt. McGivney reached on an error by the shortstop, but Torres had to hold at third. Mawn then grounded the ball towards the first baseman, who tried to get Torres as she ran home. Torres however had a perfect slide into the plate to make it 1-0. Larrabee followed with a single to left field that scored McGivney. A single by Jordan McElroy would bring home Mawn and make it 3-0. Kathryn Russette kept the rally going with a single up the middle to score Larrabee. Starting pitcher Katie Osburn helped her own cause by hitting an infield single that bounced over the pitcher's head to score McElroy and make it 5-0.
After Butler was able to get one back off of Osburn in the top of the third, Miami answered right back with a run in the bottom of the frame. Russette led off the inning with a double to left center. After a groundout by Kristy Arbour moved her over to third, Osborn brought her home with a double to center field. The RedHawks completed their scoring in the bottom of the fourth when a Russette sacrifice fly allowed McGivney to come home.
Osburn had a real gritty pitching effort in earning her first victory of the season. She allowed nine hits, but only had the one unearned run come home to score. She struck out four.
Larrabee was 3-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored in the nightcap. For the day she went 5-for-6 with three RBI and one run scored. Osborn was 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Russette went 2-fo-2 with two RBI and one run scored.
Miami returns to Mid-American Conference action this weekend when it hosts Buffalo on Friday for a doubleheader that will start at 1 p.m. The RedHawks then welcome Kent State to the Miami Softball Stadium for single games on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
