​MIAMI SOFTBALL

Miami HRs power RedHawks past Flashes

KENT STATE, OH -- Miami continued its recent home run barrage Friday as the RedHawks smashed four homers in a 9-4 win over Kent State. Three of the home runs left the yard and came in the first two innings. Karli Spaid added an inside-the-park homer in the seventh, scampering around the bases on a blast off the wall.

It was MU's fourth straight win and eighth victory in the last nine games. The surging RedHawks (20-7 MAC, 32-17 overall)  have now won 13 of their last 14 MAC outings. Brianna Pratt (26-10) went the distance, allowing . . .

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Riley Coyne got Miami on the board early. (MVSmith/file)

. . . two earned runs, striking out five and issuing zero walks. Although KSU (12-13 MAC, 19-28 overall) had eight hits, just two -- a pair of doubles -- went for extra bases. 

Miami, which totaled nine hits on the day, took an early lead with three first inning runs. Riley Coyne continued her recent power surge with a two-run homer to left field. Jenna Golembiewski followed with a solo shot.

Kent State got one back in the bottom half with Emily Lippe's RBI single, but MU matched that with a Maddi Banks homer to left center in the second inning. 

After a scoreless third frame, Miami added another run. Holly Blask'a led off with a double and came around to score on Coyne's RBI double to left center. A Kent State error led to MU's second run of the frame. 

Kent State picked up two unearned runs in the bottom of the inning and added a single tally in the sixth to pull within three at 7-4. However, Spaid's inside-the-park homer plated Cummins to give MU its final 9-4 margin. 

The two teams are scheduled to close their regular season slates Saturday in a double header starting at 1 p.m. in Kent. 

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