Miami Takes Non-Conference Doubleheader at NKU

Tuesday, April 30

Highland Heights, KY

3:00 p.m. ET

Miami University

29-14

NKU

17-29

Miami

Northern Kentucky

Miami Takes Non-Conference Doubleheader at NKU

4/30/2019 7:43:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Miami 5, NKU 1 (PDF)Miami 3, NKU 2 (8 inn.)

The RedHawks won the first game 5-1 before taking game two 3-2 in eight innings.

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Miami University softball team (30-14, 13-4 MAC) swept its doubleheader at Northern Kentucky (17-30, 10-10 Horizon) on Tuesday. Miami won the first game by a 5-1 margin before winning the second game 3-2 in extra innings.

Miami 5, NKU 1

Courtney Vierstra started the game in the circle for the RedHawks and pitched five complete innings. She gave up one run on three hits and a walk. Vierstra struck out 10 batters in a game for the eighth time this season.

Brianna Pratt relieved Vierstra to begin the sixth inning. Pratt finished the game, giving up no runs on one hit and one walk while striking out three.

Miami got onto the scoreboard first with three runs in the top of the second. Kara Leckinger was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a single from Lily Wilmot. Haeley Tran reached base on a fielder's choice that saw Leckinger out at third. Adriana Barlow hit a two-out double to score Wilmot and Tran. Morgan Lott tripled to score Barlow. Lott is now tied for the most triples in a single season in program history with six.

The RedHawks added a run in the third inning to increase their lead to 3-0. Ashton Slone drew the lead-off walk and was pinch run for by Zoe Bishop. Bishop advanced to second on a wild pitch and third on a flyout. Kara Leckinger picked up the RBI that scored Bishop. Wilmot drew a walk and Tran singled but they were stranded on first and second to end the inning.

NKU got onto the scoreboard on a lead-off walk, followed by a triple in the fourth. Vierstra and the Miami defense got three-straight outs to end the inning.
Wilmot hit her seventh home run of the season in the top of the fifth inning to bring the score to 5-1 as it was a solo shot. Tran and Barlow hit singles but were left on base.

Jenny Vasquez, Wilmot, Tran and Barlow each had two hits while Barlow was the lone player with a multi-RBI game. Eight different players got a hit.

Miami 3, NKU 2 (8 inn.)

Taylor Rathe started game two in the circle for the RedHawks. She pitched four and two-third innings, giving up two runs, neither of which were earned. Rathe gave up seven hits and a walk but struck out three.

Vierstra came into the game as relief in the bottom of the fifth inning with two out and runners on first and second. She finished the game, pitching three and one-third innings. Vierstra gave up no runs on no hits and one walk. She struck out four batters to bring her season total to 208, which is tied for the fifth-most strikeouts in a single season in program history.

In the bottom of the second, NKU loaded the bases on three singles, two of which were bunts. Rathe struck out a batter to end the inning and keep the game scoreless.

Miami struck first, scoring twice in the third inning. Jada Dotson and Mackenzie Moore hit back-to-back single to lead off the inning and a double steal put runners on second and third with one out. Slone hit a two-out RBI single to score Dotson and Moore, but a double play ended the RedHawks threat.

NKU tied the game at two in the bottom of the third. The lead-off batter reached base on an error and another reached on a fielder's choice that saw runners safe at first and second with one down. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch before scoring on another reach-on-error play with two outs. NKU loaded the bases again before an infield play ended the inning.

The game remained tied at two after seven innings. The international tie-breaker rule was put into effect to begin the eighth. Moore was placed on second to start the inning. Moore advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from the bat of Lott. Slone garnered the two-out walk. Wahl brought Moore home with an RBI single, but a force-out at third on the next play ended the inning.

NKU's runner on second advanced to third on the lead-off batter's sacrifice bunt, but the Miami defense retired the following two batters to preserve the lead.
Wilmot and Dotson both went 2-of-3 while Slone tallied two RBI and Moore scored twice.

UP AHEAD

Miami closes the regular season at home with a three-game series against Akron this weekend. The teams are scheduled to play one game on Friday, starting at 3 p.m., and a doubleheader on Saturday, scheduled for 1 p.m. This weekend will honor the senior class and welcome back the alumnae.