MIAMI SOFTBALL

Miami splits Wednesday double header with Bobcats

Mia Estrello dives to knock down a grounder. Her throw from the ground beat the runner for a Game Two out. (MVSmith/MRO)

By MIKE SMITH
After seventh inning leads melted away into losses in two consecutive games, the Miami RedHawks downed Ohio 8-5 late Wednesday afternoon at Miami Softball Stadium.

The Bobcats, who rallied in the seventh for a 5-3 win in Tuesday's series opener, pulled off another seventh inning miracle in Wednesday's first game. Down 8-7 in the final inning, Ohio exploded for six runs to record a 13-8 win.

Miami finally managed to . . . 

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Bailey Manos swings on her Game One homer. (MVSmith/MRO)

. . .  hold off the visitors in the nightcap. After breaking a 3-3 tie with five sixth inning runs, MU took an 8-3 lead to the seventh. Ohio did score two runs in its final at-bat, but this time senior pitcher Presley Hosick was able to close the door for an 8-5 Miami win.

"They kind of killed us in the seventh inning of both our other games," Miami head coach Mandy Gardner-Colegate said. I thought the overall aura of the dugout (in the third meeting) was -- we were going to win this game no matter what.

With Wednesday's doubleheader split, Miami moved to 27-12 on the season and 9-6 in MAC play. Ohio is now 26-14 (9-6 MAC). 

NEXT: Miami visits Toledo for a three-game series this weekend. Saturday's double header begins at 1 p.m. Sunday's single game is a noon start. 

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Angelena Ricciardi throws a pitch during GameTwo. (MVSmith/MRO)

GAME ONE
•  Ohio jumped on Miami starter Angelina Ricciardi (9-5) right away as cleanup hitter Shelby Westler belted a grand slam.
•  Miami got one run back in the second when McKenna Campbell scored on a Bailey Manos RBI single. 
•  The RedHawks moved in front with a five run third inning rally. Consecutive hits by Katy Olive and Mia Estrello preceded an RBI single by Denitza Hernandez. Kari Krueger's single -- coupled with a Bobcat error -- brought in two more runs. 
one out later, Krueger came home on a Evey Dieudonne home run against reliever Keegan Moore.  
•  Miami's 6-4 lead was brief. Westler, who already had a grand slam in the first inning, drove in three more with a fourth inning double down the left field line. She would finish the game with nine RBIs on three hits. 
•  The RedHawks struck back when Manos opened the fourth with a homer. That tied the contest at 7-7 and it remained that way until the sixth when Campbell opened with a fly ball to center. When it was dropped, she ended up on second. A sacrifice bunt moved pinch runner Janeva Mitchell to third, and she scored on Manos' sacrifice fly to center. 
•  Down 8-7, Ohio began its decisive rally with a one-out, nine-pitch  walk. A single and walk then loaded the bases. 
Ironically, Ohio tied the game similiar to how Miami moved ahead -- courtesy of a dropped fly. 
Lea Chevrier relieved Ricciardi in the circle but walked in a go-ahead run before getting a fly out to shortstop. 
When Brenna Farmer singled to left, two more Bobcats scored. Westler then picked up RBIs eight and nine on the day with a single to put Ohio up 13-8.
•  Miami put two runners on but was unable to score in the bottom of the innng. 
Gardner-Colegate attributed some of MU's seventh inning struggles against Ohio to not setting the tone early.. "If we're making mental and physical errors (early), and our pitchers are having to throw extra pitches, that's when it gets you -- in the seventh. ... Against a good team like Ohio, they're going to expose that."
She continied, "We talk to our girls every single day about taking care of the little things, and we did a really, really bad job of that this weekend. ... We've just got back to playing Miami softball ... defensively and offensivel -- and just taking care of the little things.

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NOTES:
•  Both teams finished with 10 hits. 
•  Manos (3 hits, 3 RBIs) and Krueger (2 hits) led Miami's offense. 
•  Miami pitchers walked seven while striking out three. Ohio pitchers walked two and recorded six strkeouts. 

McKenna Campbell had three hits, including a home run, in Game Two. (MVSmith/MRO)

GAME TWO
•  Westler, who had nine RBIs in Game One, started Game Two with an RBI double to left as Ohio grabbed an early 1-0 advantage.
•  Miami respnded with three runs on two hits in the bottom of the first against Bobcats starter Skipp Miller (10-4). Manos was hit by a pitch and Mia Estrello singled. One out later Campbell homered. 
•  Ohio pulled even at 3-3 in the third. Hummel opened with a single to left and Bare was hit by a pitch. Both runners moved up on a ground out and Hummel scored when Westler reached first on a Miami error. Bare came home on a ground out. 
•  The RedHawks moved back in front with a five-run sixth inning. There were two on and two out when Dieudonne and Carter walked. The latter forced in one run to give Miami a 4-3 edge. 
Leila Mathis doubled in two more with a double to right and Manos equalled that with a two-run double of her own. 

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Evey Dieudonne flags down the final out in Game Two. (MVSmith/MRO)

•  Miami starter Presley Hosick, who took a 2-0 lead into the seventh during Tuesday's loss, went to the circle with an 8-3 advantage this time. 
Ohio got two runs back -- once again with Westler doing damage. Her double to center scored both runs and gave her 12 RBIs on the day. However, Dieudonne flagged down a hard-hit ball to left field one batter later to secure Miami's win. 

NOTES: 
•  Campbell recorded three of Miami's eight hits. 
•  Hosick gave up nine hits. Three of the five Ohio runs were earned. Hosick struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. 
•  Six of the Bobcats' nine hits came from the first four batters in the lineup.
•  Miller (10-4) took the loss. She struck out six, walked two and hit one batter. All eight MU runs were earned. 

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MAKE IT TWO!! Outfielder Erin Pinter (9) makes the catch on a fly ball and fires to home. The throw was in time to nail a runner tagging at third.(MVSmith/MRO)