MIAMI SOFTBALL

UK nips RedHawks as pitchers, defense shine

Evey Dieudonne squeezes a fly ball during fifth inning action of Miami's 1-0 loss to Kentucky Tuesday. (MVSmith/MRO)

OXFORD, OH -- Miami softball came out on the short end of an outstanding pitching duel Tuesday at the Miami Softball Stadium. 
RedHawks starter Lea Chevrier gave up just five hits and one run while going the distance, but Kentucky's Sarah Haendiges countered with a five-hit shutout. 

Miami has come up a run short nine times this year, but Tuesday was the first time any opponent shut out MU. 

"If you' had told me before the game that Lea would allow one run and we (would lose), I'd have (said) 'You're nuts," Miami head coach Mandy Gardner-Colegate said. (Kentucky) is a post-season calibre team. It just continues to give us confidence that we're in those games (but) we're bummed because we know we can also beat those teams. ... The standard and expectation is for us to beat them. We know that when we play Miami softball, we can beat anybody in the country."

Two of the Wildcats' five hits came in the first inning, including a leadoff infield single by Carly Sleeman. She moved up a base on Allie Blum's sacrifice bunt. Miami got a second out on a fly to right, but Karissa Hamilton followed with a single to center. That scored Sleeman with the game's only run. 

Miami (24-9) also . . . 

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. . . started with a leadoff runner as Mia Estrello singled to left. After a fielders choice out at second, Danitza Hernandez drew a seven-pitch walk. However, the next two batters struck out.

Haendiges eventually totaled six strikeouts, with several of them helping to end RedHawk threats. When MU did get good contact, the balls went to Wildcat defenders. Miami finished with eight runners left on base. ​

McKenna Campell unleashes a throw to catch a Wildcat runner attempting to steal second. (MVSmith/MRO)

​Kentucky (22-15) opened the third with a double and walk, but Chevrier induced three staight groundouts to end the inning. 

Erin Pinter opened MU's third with a double, but three straight outs followed. Danitza Hernandez's lineout to shortstop ended the threat.

The Wildcats again put two on with a double and walk in the fourth -- this time with one out. However, Chevrier again worked her way out of trouble. 

".I'm really proud of her. She's throwing well right now,"  Gardner-Colegate said. "I didn't expect her to go seven innings today. We were going to split it, but she wanted to stay in. She wanted the ball and her pitch count (was not that high)." 

Krueger opened Miami's fifth with a single and moved up to second on Ella Carter's sacrifice bunt. Erin Pinter was hit by a pitch, moving Carter up. However, Haendiges worked out of the jam with a pop out and three-pitch strikeout. 

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Erin Pinter had Miami's only extra base hit (a double) against Kentucky. Each team totaled five hits overall. (MVSmith/MRO)

McKenna Campbell singled with out on in the sixth and pinch hitter Bailey Manos drew a walk one out later. A popout ended the inning. 

​"I thought there were times when we had runners on base and our swings got  a little too big. We were generating weak popups instead of just trying to hit something through the infield," Gardner-Colegate said. 

Miami's last chance lasted four batters. Mia Estrello singled with two out, but the game endeded on a popup to second. 

"We just didn't get the big hit," Gardner Colegate said, "Our offense went cold today, but they'll bounce back this weekend."

NEXT: Miami is scheduled to begin a three-game set at Buffalo Friday (3 p.m.). Saturday's double header is tentatively scheduled to start at 1 p.m.

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Erin Pinter outs down a sacrifice bunt to move a Miami runner up to second. (MVSmith/MRO)

Mia Estrello (above) throws to first base. (MVSmith/MRO).