March 22, 2012
Box Score
INDIANAPOLIS - The Miami University softball team kept rolling Thursday, sweeping a doubleheader at Butler to increase its winning streak to six games. The RedHawks won the opener, 5-1. They then took the nightcap, 9-0, in five innings. Miami improves to 17-9 on the season, while the Bulldogs fall to 4-17.
Coming off her first career perfect game in her last outing, Jessica Simpson pitched well in the opener. She allowed only a solo home run in the second inning. The home run ended a streak of 9.0 straight innings of perfect softball for the senior. Simpson finished the game allowing five hits, while striking out 10. She earned her 10th victory of the season and 80th of her career. She is only five wins away from tying the MAC career record for victories.
After Jordan McElroy drove in a run in the top of the first, Miami took the lead for good in the top of the fourth. With Brandi Hernandez on first, McElroy sacrifice bunted her over to second. Casey Drees then singled to center field, bringing Hernandez home.
Miami broke the game open with three runs in the top of the fifth. With one out, Kirstie Fehrenbach singled to second base. Remy Edwards then singled to left center to move Fehrenbach to second. A wild pitch moved both runners up. An infield single by Daniela Torres would bring home Fehrenbach and make it 3-1. A fielding error after Torres stole second would allow Edwards to come home. Miami completed its scoring when McElroy tripled to deep right field, bringing home Torres and making it 5-1.
Fehrenbach finished the opener 2-for-4 with one run scored. Torres was 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored.
A two-run home run by Kayla Ledbetter in the top of the second would give Miami a 2-0 lead in the top of the second in the nightcap. The two-out rally began when Kylie McChesney drew a walk.
The RedHawks broke the game wide-open when they scored five runs in the top of the fourth. Torres led things off with a single to left field. Allie Larrabee was then hit by a pitch. Megan Mattera hit a double that scored Torres. Shanyn McIntyre came up in a pinch-hit situation and promptly hit a double down the left field line that brought home pinch-runner Ashley Zappia and Larrabee to make it 5-0. Ledbetter's first career triple would score McIntyre and make it 6-0. Edwards followed with a single through the left side that brought home Ledbetter and made it 7-0.
In the top of the fifth, singles from McElroy and Torres, followed by a walk from Larrabee loaded the bases with no one out. Two batters later, McChesney hit a sharp single through the left side to score McElroy. Ledbetter completed the RedHawks' scoring with a sacrifice fly to left field that allowed Torres to come home.
Paige Myers pitched the first four innings of the nightcap. She allowed no runs on six hits while striking out four to earn her seventh victory of the season. Katie Osburn shut Butler out in the bottom of the fifth to help secure the run-rule win.
Ledbetter finished the game 2-for-2 with four RBI and two runs scored. Edwards was 2-for-3 with one RBI. Torres finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Miami will take the weekend off before hosting Wright State on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
