MIAMI SOFTBALL

Chevrier's run-rule shutout ends RedHawk mini-slide

Le'a Chevrier throws to first for a third inning out. (MVSmith/MRO)

By MIKE SMITH
​OXFORD, Oh -- Junior Le'a Chevrier worked out of several early jams and Ella Carter blasted a walk-off home run as Miami (26-19, 15-4 MAC) ended a three-game losing streak with an 8-0 win over Akron (20-19, 7-7 MAC) Tuesday at the Miami Softball Stadium. Akron took the first game, squeezing out a 3-2 win in nine innings against RedHawk ace Madi Reeves (18-8). 

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Miami was coming off . . . 

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. . . two losses at Ball State. With the split, MU is tied with Ohio (11-4 MAC) in the loss column. The two rivals meet this weekend in Athens. 

"We just kind of ran into a little bit of a slump. Luckily, it didn't last too long," Miami Head Coach Mandy Gardner-Colegate said. "I was really proud of our pitchers for keeping us in those games even though our offense wasn't necessarily rolling. It's a perfect time for OU weekend."

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Erin Pinter puts down a tag as Hailee Sanchez slides into third base during Tuesday's double header. (MVSmith/MRO)

Erin Pinter throws to first (MVSmith/MRO)

GAME ONE: AKRON 3, MIAMI 2
• Akron infielder Sophia Wygast was the big difference as she went 2 for 3 and drove in two runs, including a ninth inning game-winning homer. 
•  Miami, which was shut out in the final two games at Ball State, jumped in front early against Akron with McKenna Campbell's solo homer to right center. 
• Reeves silenced the Zips offense on no runs and just one hit through five innings. However, Akron turned a leadoff walk and two hits into two runs in fifth. Lily Sullivan's two-out sacrifice brought in the first run. Wygast followed with a double for the second, giving UA a 2-1 lead. 
• Miami responded in the bottom half. Chloe Parks doubled with one out and advanced to third on a fly out. When Campbell reached on a fielding error, Parks came home to tie the contest 2-2. 
• Reeves allowed just one hit across the seventh and eighth innings. Miami, meanwhile, had a couple chances to score. 
- Pinter doubled with two outs in the seventh, but a foul out ended the inning.
- MU loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but UA squirmed out of the jam with a strikeout and fly out. 
• Wygast led off the Akron ninth and homered to left center. 
• Macy Walter (11-8), who got the win with 1.2 innings of relief, set the 'Hawks down in order, She struck out the final two batters to seal the Akron victory. 
• Eleven RedHawks were strikeout victims. Reeves struck out seven Zips. 
• Miami totaled five hits. Chloe Parks, battling leadoff, recorded two of the safeties. 

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Shelbie Kunkel beats out an infield single in the first inning of Game Two. (MVSmith/MRO)

GAME TWO: MIAMI 8, AKRON 0 
• Although they would not score in Game Two, the Zips certainly threatened -- multiple times -- in the early innings. 
A bloop and bunt single opened the first. After a foul out, Wygast walked to load the bases. However, Chevrier struck out the next two batters to strand all three runners. 
• Walters, who finished Game One for UA, started Game Two but got different results. 
• Miami used four hits and a Zips error to score three first inning runs. Oh, Shelby Kunkel and Parks singled, with Oh scoring MU's first run.
All three players would record two hits and score two runs in the contest. When Parks stole second, Kunkel came home on a throwing error by the UA catcher. 
After a Campbell single to short, both runners moved up on a groundout. Carter's two-out single to shortstop brought in the third run and Miami led 3-0. 
• The RedHawks added another run in the second. Oh singled with two outs and stole second. Kunkel then drove her in with a single up the middle. 

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Ella Carter unloads on a game-ending three-run homer. (MVSmith/MRO)

•  After stranding three runners in both the first and second innings. Akron left two on in the fifth as Chevrier struck out Meagan Lee to end the inning. 
"Le'a threw really well.  (She) got herself in some jams but worked herself out of it, which I'm really proud of," Gardner-Colegate said. "Her grit and overall growth on the mound has been showing the last few games." 

​• The RedHawks led 4-0 when they started the fifth. Kunkel walked and stole second before coming home on a Parks' double. 
Maddelynn Lee replaced Walters in the circle. She walked Campbell before  getting the innings' first out with a strikeout. Lee then worked the count to 2--2 on Carter before the sophomore went deep to center for three-run homer that gave Miami an 8-0 run-rule victory. 
"I just knew we were eventually going to find (our offense), even though the first game didn't go the way we wanted it to," Oh said. "We ended up seeing (Walters) again and executed." 

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Kaylee Oh strokes a first inning single in Game Two. (MVSmith/MRO)

MORE NOTES/QUOTES: 
• After Saturday's shutout losses at Ball State and two runs over nine inning in Game one against Akron, the RedHawks scored eight runs on eight hits in their win. Gardner-Colegate anticipates the offense can return to previous production levels. 

"Really, it's our mindset. It's not physical with us," she said. "We were kind of not trusting ourselves - not getting up there with confidence. ... Our timing is just a little bit off, and I think that's coming from the confidence (factor)." 

The path to batting confidence, Oh observed, is keeping things simple. "See the ball. Hit the ball." 
• Miami and Ohio meet twice Friday, with games scheduled for 1p.m. and 3 p.m. in Athens. Saturday's finale is a noon start. 
• MU remains on the road for the following three games. (Purdue April 23) and Bowling Green (two on April 29). The regular season final series is May 3 (2) and May 4 against Buffalo). 
• The MAC Tournament will be eld May 7-10 in Akron. 

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