OXFORD, Ohio – On Saturday afternoon two RedHawks hit their first career home runs when the Miami University softball team split their doubleheader. In Game one the RedHawks took down Northern Kentucky University 13-4 in six innings. The Norse drop to 7-10 on the season. The RedHawks then fell to Michigan State University 9-7. The Spartans move to 6-9. The RedHawks go to 7-14 on the season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 1):

• In the bottom of the second, Holly Merritt grabbed a 1-0 lead for the RedHawks with a solo home run driven over the right field wall.
• A single from Chloe Parks in the bottom of the third, paired with an error, put Jenna Golembiewski and Shelby Kunkel across the plate to up the Miami lead to 3-0.
• Still in the third, a sacrifice groundout from Holly Merritt scored Chloe Parks and made it a 4-0 RedHawk advantage.
• A single from the Norse in the top of the fifth put two runs across the plate and cut the lead in half 4-2.
• A NKU double followed, scoring two more and tying the game up 4-4.
• The Red and White took the lead back in the bottom of the fifth when a double from Kari Krueger allowed Madie Patton and Merritt to cross home, making it 6-4.
• Golembiewski immediately followed that up with a no-question grand slam straight over center field, extending the lead to 10-4.
• The RedHawks weren't done yet. Parks followed up Golembiewski's grand slam with a solo homer to make it a 11-4 margin.
• In the bottom of the sixth, pinch hitter Erin Pinter ended the game 13-4 with a two-run walk-off homer, also scoring Sydney Gilbert.

 
NOTES:

• Parks went 2-for-3 at the plate and hit her tenth career homer.
• Pinter hit her first career home run.
• Kunkel went 3-for-3 at the plate.
• The Red and White hit six extra-base hits, four were homers.
• Golembiewski racked up four RBI.
• Madilyn Reeves secured the win in the circle, marking the 25th of her career. She pitched five innings, striking out three and giving up just one walk.
• Shelbie Krieger went one inning on the bump, striking out two, and not allowing a single baserunner.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED (GAME 2):

• A double from Parks sent to the center field wall in the bottom of the first pushed Golembiewski and Kunkel across the plate to take an early 2-0 lead.
• In the top of the third, the Spartans put a run across on a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 2-1.
• Another run crossed the plate for the Spartans in that same inning on a RBI single to tie the game 2-2.
• The Red and White answered in the bottom of the third with a RBI single by Parks to put Golembiewski across home and take the lead back 3-2.
• Patton followed that up with a double that scored Parks to double the RedHawks' advantage 4-2.
• Mckenna Campbell hit her first collegiate home run in the bottom of the fourth to up the Miami lead to 5-2.
• In the top of the fifth, four runs crossed home for the Spartans on back-to-back doubles to give the Spartans their first lead of the game 6-5.
• A wild pitch and an error scored another pair of runs for MSU in the fifth to make it 8-5.
• A RBI triple, still in the fifth, scored one more to make it a 9-5 Spartan lead.
• In the bottom of the sixth, Ella Carter walked with the bases loaded so that Merritt could cross home and cut the deficit to 9-6.
• A fielder's choice in that same inning let Patton score to make it a 9-7 difference, but the RedHawks could not come back, giving the Spartans the 9-7 win.

 
NOTES:

• Campbell hit her first career homer.
• Parks went 2-for-4 at the plate. She also notched three RBI.
• Patton went 2-for-3.
• Léa Chevrier went four innings in the circle, allowing just five hits.
• Krieger made an appearance on the bump.
• Reeves went three innings on the mound and did not allow any earned runs.

UP NEXT: The RedHawks close out the tournament tomorrow, March 9 in Oxford, Ohio when they face Northern Kentucky University at 2:30 p.m.