BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Miami University softball team (18-12, 3-2 MAC) dominated the doubleheader against Bowling Green (13-19, 1-6 MAC) on Tuesday. Miami took the first game by a 10-2 margin in six innings before winning the second game by a 7-2 margin.
Miami 10, Bowling Green 2 (6 inn.)
Courtney Vierstra pitched the complete game for the RedHawks. She gave up just one earned run on two hits and two walks while striking out seven.
Miami scored four runs in the top of the first to take an early lead.
Haeley Tran led off with a single and walks to
Jenny Vasquez and
Johniann Wahl loaded the bases with one out.
Morgan Lott hit an RBI single to bring in the first run.
Kara Leckinger followed with a sacrifice fly to score one and make the second out.
Lily Wilmot drove in two runs with a double to finish off Miami's scoring for the first inning.
Bowling Green answered with two runs in the bottom of the first inning to cut Miami's lead in half, only one of which was earned due to a fielding error.
Vierstra struck out the side in the bottom of the second after Miami could not extend its lead in the top half of the inning, leaving Vasquez stranded on first.
The score remained 4-2 until Miami tacked on a run in the top of the fifth. Tran led off with her second single of the game and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Vasquez. Tran scored on a single by
Ashton Slone.
The RedHawks extended their lead to 10-2 in the top of the sixth inning with five runs as they batted through the order.
Morgan Lott reached base on a Bowling Green fielding error and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Leckinger. Wilmot batted in Lott for Wilmot's third RBI of the game.
Jada Dotson tripled to score Wilmot and then scored on a wild pitch. With the bases clear and two outs, Tran hit her third single of the game and advanced to third on a double from Vasquez. Slone singled to score Tran, while Vasquez was able to score on a fielding error. Wahl singled but runners were left on first and second to end the inning.
Tran went 3-of-4 and scored three runs and Wilmot went 2-of-3 with three RBI to lead the Miami offense. Vasquez (2-of-2, two runs) and Slone (2-of-4, two RBI) also had multi-hit games as the team totaled 12 hits.
Miami 7, Bowling Green 2
Brianna Pratt started the game in the circle for the RedHawks. She pitched five complete innings and got one out in the sixth. Pratt gave up two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out six. She did not give up a hit until the fourth inning.
Vierstra relieved Pratt in the circle with one out in the sixth. Vierstra finished the game, giving up no runs on no hits and one walk while striking out two in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure the win.
Miami took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Tran reached base and advanced to second on a Bowling Green error to lead off the game. Tran advanced to third on a ground out by Vasquez and scored on a BG error that saw Slone safe at first. Lott would get the first hit of the game with two outs, but her and Slone are stranded on first and second to end the inning.
The RedHawks added three runs in the third to increase the lead to 4-0. With two outs, Slone walked and Wahl singled to place runners on first and second. Lott brought them both around with a double. Leckinger singled and advanced to second on the throw that Lott beat out to score.
Miami added three more runs in the fourth. Dotson and Tran both singled before Vasquez reached first on a fielder's choice that saw Dotson out at third. Slone cleared the bases with her fifth home run of the season to increase Miami's lead to 7-0.
Bowling Green got its first two hits of the game and onto the scoreboard with a run in the bottom of the fourth. BG added another run in the bottom of the sixth on a pair of doubles before Vierstra replaced Pratt in the circle. Vierstra saw only two batters in the sixth to register the final two outs of the inning. Scoring was capped at 7-2 as neither team scored in the seventh.
Slone went 2-of-3, including a home run, with three RBI and two runs to lead the Miami offense. Lott tallied two RBI and a run while going 2-of-4.
UP AHEAD
Miami travels to DeKalb, Ill. for a three-game conference series against Northern Illinois this weekend. First pitch for Friday's game is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET. The series will conclude on Saturday with a doubleheader, scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET.
