MIAMI SOFTBALL

Miami drops two in pair of pitching duels

MRO STAFF 
ATHENS, OH  -- Miami's offensive struggles continued Friday as Ohio won both ends of a double-header, 2-0 and 3-1, at the Ohio Softball Field. 
With the victories, Ohio 30-12, 13-4 MAC) moved into first place -- one loss better than Ball State and Central Michigan (12-5). Miami (26-21, 15-6 MAC) suffered its fifth loss in the last six contests. 
Both the RedHawks and Bobcats totaled 10 hits on the day. However, MU had only two extra base knocks. Both were Game One doubles off the bat of McKenna Campbell. 
Ohio, meanwhile, had . . . 

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. . . one extra base hit in the opener, but that provided the game's only runs. Another homer -- this one by Shelbie Westler -- provided the winning margin in Game Two. 

GAME ONE: OHIO 2, MIAMI 0
• Both teams threatened in the first, but neither scored. 
Chloe Parks singled with two outs and Campbell followed with a double. However Skipp Miller, who raised her record to 13-5 with the win, escaped the jam with a strikeout.
Miami's Madi Reeves (13-5), meanwhile, loaded the bases with a pair of walks and hit-batter. Like Miller, she got out of the inning with a two-out strikeout. 
• Ohio finally broke through in the third. Reeves, who fanned nine on the day, struck out the first two batters. However, Emma Hoffner reached first base on a pass ball. She stole second base and then scored on Wilcox's homer to left center. 
• Reeves would give up just one hit -- a single - the rest of the way, but the damage had been done. 
Miami's last chance came in the seventh. After whiffing the first two RedHawks, Miller gave up a single to Erin Pinter. However, the redshirt junior pitcher then recorded her 10th strikeout to close out the win. 
• Reeves fanned nine Bobcats during her six innings in the circle. 

GAME TWO: OHIO 3, MIAMI 1
• Miami's Le'a Chevrier (L, 8-8) and the Bobcats' Anna Wise (W, 10-3) both tossed four scorless innings before allowing a run. 
• The RedHawks drew first blood with an unearned run in the top of the fifth.  After Pinter's one-out single to short, Jenna Golembiewski reached on an error. Both runners moved up on Danita Hermandez' groundout to short. When Oh singled to short, Pinter scored. 
• Chevrier retired the first two Bobcats on flyout to start the bottom of the inning. However, CiCi Keidel doubled to right and Brenna Farmer followed with a home run to left center. 
• After Miami went down in order in the fifth, Ohio added one more for a 3-1 lead. The first two batters struck out. However, Mikie Lieving came in to pinch hit and tripled to right. She came home when Westler doubled down the left field line. 
• Carter singled to lead off Miami's seventh. She was quickly erased, however, as Pinter lined into a double play. Wise then induced a ground out to complete the sweep. 
•  Wise struck out six and did not walk a batter while allowing five hits in seven innings. Miami's one run was unearned. Chevrier fanned three, walked two and hit one batter. She allowed six hits, and all three runs were earned. 

MORE:
•  The RedHawks and Bobcats wrap up their three-game set Saturday with a single game (noon) in Athens.
•  The Bobcats have won four straight and six of their last eight. Their two losses were at home to Toledo back on April 12. 
•  Ohio's Wise tops all MAC pitchers with a 1.95 ERA. Skipp Miller, meanwhile, is second in opposing batter average (.228). Wise (.230) and Lieving (.232) are third and fourth.
• Miami's Reeves leads the MAC in innings pitched (193.1). The next closest pitcher is Ella Whiteney of Ball State (131.2). Reeves is also No. 1 in total strikeouts (167).