MUNCIE, Ind.—Breaking team single-season records for home runs (61) and doubles (85), the Miami University softball team continued its torrid pace with a pair of wins at Ball State University on Tuesday afternoon. The RedHawks (33-7; 23-1 Mid-American Conference) pounded out a 16-1 win in five innings in the opener and seized an 11-5 triumph in the nightcap against the Cardinals (25-14; 19-4 MAC). Junior
Adriana Barlow and freshman
Karli Spaid each tied Miami's single-season home run record with their 11th home runs of the season.
GAME ONE:
- Senior Mackenzie Moore nailed a two-run single to get the scoring started for Miami. Senior Lily Wilmot belted a three-run homer to right center, while senior Morgan Lott added an RBI single to hand the RedHawks a 6-0 lead in the first inning.
- In the second inning, Moore hit an RBI double before Spaid drilled a three-run home run to center field, pushing the Miami lead to 10-0.
- Barlow homered to center field early in the third inning, tying the Miami single-season record for home runs, and junior Maclai Branson hit an RBI single to further the Miami lead to 12-0.
- Barlow added a two-run single in the fourth inning to lift the RedHawks to a 14-0 lead, while junior Allie Cummins tagged a two-run double in the fifth inning to extend the Miami advantage to 16-0. Ball State scored a run in the bottom of the fifth to make the final tally 16-1 in favor of the RedHawks.
GAME TWO:
- After Ball State scored two runs in the bottom of the first, Miami retaliated with a pair of home runs in the second that lifted the RedHawks to a 4-2 lead. Spaid hit a solo shot down the left field line to start the inning, which also tied the Miami single-season home run record, before freshman Holly Blaska hammered a three-run homer to left center.
- Moore scored on a wild pitch in the third inning to extend MU's lead to 5-2. Ball State scored twice in the bottom of the fourth and once in the bottom of the fifth to knot the game, 5-5.
- Miami scored six in the top of the seventh to clinch the game. Moore knocked in the go-ahead run with a double down the right field line. A grand slam by junior Riley Coyne provided an empathic punctuation mark on the doubleheader sweep.
- Senior Courtney Vierstra picked up both wins in the circle for the RedHawks, pitching 3.0 innings in the first game and 6.0 innings in the second game.
UP NEXT:
Miami continues a road stretch when it heads to Bowling Green for a four-game weekend series beginning with a 3 p.m. game on Friday, April 30.