MIAMI SOFTBALL

Reeves, Jarvis stifle Cardinals as MU takes two

Reagan Bartholomew reaches to tag a Ball State runner. (MVsmith/MRO)

MRO-PLUS STAFF
OXFORD, OH -- RedHawk hitters smashed five home runs and two MU pitchers tossed complete games as Miami swept Ball State 8-3 and 4-2 Tuesday at the Miami Softball Stadium.

With the victories, Miami broke the Mid-American Conference record set by MU in 2022. The RedHawks, who moved into the Softball American Top 25 (#24) this week, are now 34-6 on the season and 16-0 in MAC play. Ball State fell to 20-23 (7-10 MAC). 

Madilyn Reeves (15-2) surrendered three hits and three runs while striking out three and walking four (1 HBP) in the first game. Birdie Murphy (7-9) took the loss.

Catcher Allie Cummins was the . . . 

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Kate Kobyashi hits a Game One home run. (MVSmith/MRO)

. . . only RedHawk with multiple hits in Game One. She went 2 for 4 with a pair of solo circuit shots.  Kate Kobayashi, who was named National Fastpitch Coaches Association Player of the Week Tuesday, also homered. 

Addy Jarvis (11-9) struck out six while picking up the Game Two victory. All three passes came in the seventh inning, with one pushing across the Cardinals second run. 

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GAME ONE: MIAMI 8, BALL STATE 3
-- Ball State struck first, grabbing a 1-0 lead on McKayla Simmons' home run to left field.
However, aided by two Cardinal errors, Miami answered with four runs in its first turn. 
-- Cummins homered in the second and fourth innings, with Kobayashi hitting her own solo shot in between to give MU a 7-1 advantage.
-- Both teams added a run in the fifth inning and BSU closed scoring with Timmons' second home run of the game in the sixth. 
-- Reeves walked one in the seventh but got three fly ball outs to finish her complete game.

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Holly Blaska drove in three of Miami's four runs in Game Two. (MVSmith/MRO)

GAME TWO: MIAMI 4, BALL STATE 2
-- The Miami bats cooled off against BSU pitcher Francys King (11-9) in Game Two, but Jarvis put some chill into Ball State's offense, as well.
-- Miami jumped in front with a two-out, 2-run first inning homer by Blaska, who would ultimately drive in three of MU's four runs in the nightcap. 
"I fouled the first pitch off, and it's like, 'Alright, I've seen it. I was lucky to get (another) good pitch, so I put a good swing on the ball and hit it hard," she said. 
-- Ball State played small ball to cut its deficit in half with one run in the second ining. After a single by McKenna Mulholland, the Cardinals put down a bunt. When the throw to first went wide Mulholland continued on to third. With BSU runners on first and third, Miami elected to through through to second on a steal attempt ty Pietrazk. MU got the out at second. Ball State got the run when Mulholland came home from third. 
With Miami already up 2-0, trading the out for a run so early in the game was a relatively easy decision for Head Coach Kirin Kumar.
"We gave that up because I knew our offense could score (more) ,: She said. "The fact that we only scored four (runs in the game) is an anomaly, but four runs with our pitching staff will win it." 
While Ball State is second in the MAC with 229 runs scored in 44 games, Miami is first among MAC teams with 396 runs in 43 contests. 

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Addy Jarvis kept the Cardinals scoreless in five of her seven innings on the mound. (MVSmith/MRO)

-- As play continued, the two teams settled into a defensive/pitching duel. It remained a 2-1 tilt through 5.5 innings. 
-- Miami finally broke through again in the bottom of the sixth. Cummins' one-out home run to left made it a 3-1 contest. Kobayashi followed with a double and advanced to third on a ground out. That brought up Blaska with two down. Her double down the left field line scored Kobayashi."
"Addy was dealing out there, so we wanted to get more runs for her," Blaska said while praising Jarvis' stint on the mound. 
-- Miami took a 4-1 lead into seventh. but Wynn coaxed a leadoff walk and Maia Pietrzak singled one out later. After Jarvis struck out Spencer, the RedHawks were within one out of finishing off Ball State. However, two more walks pushed in a run. However, Kumar stayed with Jarvis. With the bases still loaded, the sixth year pitcher from Vienna, OH coaxed Lovett into a game-ending pop up to second. 

"That's her first seven-inning game in a while, and she had no walks until that last inning, so she might have got a little bit tired," Kumar said, adding Jarvis still "did a phenomenal job" 

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