MIAMI SOFTBALL

Miami powers past Ball State in Saturday finale

Big series at Central Michigan on deck

Erin inter backhands a hot shot down the line. (MVSmith/MRO)

By MIKE SMITH
OXFORD, OH -- Miami (33-14, 14-7 MAC) slugged four home runs among eight hits, and Presley Hosick (W.15-4) threw a complete game as MU defeated Ball State 9-1 in five innings Saturday at the Miami Softball Complex. 

It was Presley's second win over BSU (17-25, 4-17 MAC) after she also topped the Cardinals in Game One of Friday's double header. The RedHawks also hit four homers in that contest.

Miami's offense, however, was silenced in a 10-1 loss in Game Two, adding significance to the series finale. 

"That was . . . 

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Bailey Mons singled and homered in Saturday's MU win. (MVSmith/MRO)

. . . really a gut punch. Credit to Ball State for taking advantage of our mistakes, but I'm really proud of the response of our team (today)," Miami head coach Mandy Gardner-Colegate said. 

Remnants of mid-day showers and occasional misting during Saturday's game added to defensive challenges for both teams, and each side committed three errors. Pitchers, however, got through the day with zero walks.

For her part, Presley allowed four hits, hit one batter and struck out five. She gave up one second inning run and stranded five Cardinal runners over five innings. 

"She's a competitor. She doesn't let anything bother her," Gardner-Colegate said. She was ready today. I'm really proud of her for coming back (today) and really setting the tone."

Starter Bridie Murphy (L,5-6) took the loss for Ball State, allowing three runs (2 earned) and two hits while striking out one. Grace Gray surrendered four runs, (3 earned), while Ella Whitney gave up two runs (1 earned).

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•  Miami got on the board early when Danitza Hernandez drove a two-out solo homer to left center in the first inning.
•  Ball State struck back quickly as Addison Zimpleman led off the second with a home run to right center. 
•  The Cardinals threatened again in the third inning after Allee Noble reached first on a fielding error to open frame. Hayley Urban then doubled to right, giving BSU runners at second and third with no outs. Hosick, however, struck out a batter and got a pop out to second before throwing three straight balls to Whitney. The Cardinals clean-up hitter nonetheless took a cut at Hosicks next pitch and drove a hard grounder to second. Mia Estrello smothered it and threw to first to end the inning. 

Erin Pinter puts down a tag to complete a double play for Ball State's final out. Evey Dieudonne's throw from left field caught the tagging runner going to third. (MVSmith/MRO)

"That was a huge play," Gardner-Colegate said. "You normally don't think (they'll swing) 3-0, so I told our pitchers just get a strike there.  ... I think that was our first 3-0 swing all year. ... Mia made a great play on that. It was really a hard-hit ball."

•  Miami broke the 1-1 tie with two runs in the bottom of the inning. After Leila Mathis reached on an error, Bailey Manos stroked a long homer to right. 
•  Gray replaced Murphy to begin the fourth inning, but McKenna Campbell mde it 4-1 Miami with a homer to right center. 
•   Ball State got two on with one out in the fifth inning.. However, Whitney's fly out to left turned into a double play when Evey Dieudonne's throw to third cut down a tagging runner. 

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Presley Hosick threw complete games for both Miami wins against Ball State. (MVSmith/MRO)

​•  MU finished off the visitors in the fifth inning, scoring five runs on five hits and a Cardinal error. 
Mathis started the rally with a leadoff, first pitch home run to left. Bailey Manos singled and Estrello doubled to right. 
There were still no outs when Ball State brought Whitney in to pitch. An error at shortstop led to two runs. That was followed by a Campbell single. Hernandez and Campbell scored the final two runs when Katy Olive bounced a single through the middle. 
•  With Miami up eight runs in the fifth, the RedHawks claimed a run-rule victory. 

NEXT: The RedHawks head north -- way north -- for a series against Central Michigan in Mount Pleasant this coming weekend. The first game is set for Friday at 3 p.m. Saturday's double header begins at 1 p.m.

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MORE NOTES 
•  Miami's first four batters recorded seven of the team's nine hits.
•  Leila Mathis, batting ninth, was one of four RedHawks with two hits.
•  Akron (17-4) leads the MAC. Northern Illinois, in its final MAC season, is second with a 14-5 league mark. 
Miami (14-7)  is one of three teams with seven losses. Ohio is also 14-7, while Central Michigan -- MU's next opponent -- is 13-7. 
Six teams qualify for the MAC Tournament. 
•  Miami, which has been battling injuries in recent weeks, is hoping to get relatively healthy soon. ""We're just trying to ... get rolling and play our best ball here at the end as we go into the MAC tournament," Gardner-Colegate said. 

Leila Mathis gets a high five while rounding third on a fifth inning home run. (MVSmith/MRO)