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OXFORD, Ohio – After it dropped the opening game of its doubleheader to Northern Illinois, 2-1, senior first baseman Shanyn McIntyre made sure the Miami University softball team went home happy on Friday, blasting a walk-off double to lead the RedHawks to a 4-3 win. Miami is now 24-17 on the season and 8-4 in the Mid-American Conference. The Huskies are 22-18 overall and 6-4 in the MAC.
The opening game was a classic pitcher’s duel between the ‘Hawks Amber Logemann and NIU’s Keegan Hayes. While Miami was able to tag Hayes for eight hits, it was never able to string together the hits it needed to put the game away.
The RedHawks got their run in the bottom of the third inning. Senior outfielder Tiyona Marshall led off with a single to third base. Junior designated player Tanya Busby reached on a fielder’s choice bunt, moving Marshall up to second. Junior second baseman Eryn McCarver also reached on a fielder’s choice; after retiring Busby on the play the NIU second baseman threw the ball away allowing Marshall to score.
Logemann held Miami’s 1-0 advantage until the top of the seventh. Alaynie Wollard led off the frame with a home run over the leftfield wall to tie the score. After a couple of outs were recorded, a double followed by a single brought in another run to put the Huskies in front, 2-1. The RedHawks got a baserunner on in the bottom of the seventh, but were unable to bring her home.
Marshall finished the opener 2-for-4 with one run scored. Senior third baseman Remy Edwards was 2-for-2. Logemann took the hard-luck loss, giving up two runs on four hits in seven innings pitched. She struck out seven.
Sophomore Kelsey Fredericks and Edwards combined to keep Northern Illinois off the board for the first three innings of the nightcap. With two out and a runner on third in the top of the fourth, an infield single off of Edwards allowed the Huskies to take a 1-0 lead.
Miami answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Edwards led off with a single to right center. Senior shortstop Kylie McChesney bunted into a fielder’s choice; Edwards was retired at second. Busby reached on a throwing error, while a walk by McCarver loaded the bases with one out. Junior outfielder Taylor Shuey then hit a slow roller to the shortstop. The NIU shortstop was unable to get the runner at third as McChesney scored to tie the game. McIntyre followed with an infield single to short of her own, allowing Busby to score and give the RedHawks a 2-1 lead.
Logemann came in to pitch in the top of the sixth. The Huskies used a pair of hits to tie the score in the top of the sixth, while a leadoff home run in the top of the seventh put them in front, 3-2.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Busby reached on an infield error by the right fielder (she was playing in the infield on a shift). McCarver then reached on a fielding error. A walk from Shuey loaded the bases with one out. McIntyre came up and hit a blast that went over the centerfielder’s head and all the way to the wall. Busby and McCarver easily scored, allowing Miami to take a dramatic, 4-3, victory.
McIntyre finished the nightcap 3-for-4 with three RBI. Shuey was 2-for-3 with one RBI, while Busby was 1-for-4 with two runs scored. Logemann earned the victory to improve to 20-7 on the season. She is only the fourth different pitcher in school history to record 20 victories.
Miami returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Western Michigan. Due to the rain in the forecast on Sunday, this will now be a doubleheader. The first game will begin at 2 p.m., with the nightcap following 20 minutes after the first game’s conclusion. Following the doubleheader, there will be a staff vs. alumnae slow-pitch softball game.
