April 21, 2007
MUNCIE, Ind. - Freshman Meredith Linch threw a complete-game shutout and junior Halle Popson notched her fifth consecutive multi-hit game as the Miami University softball team (19-31-1; 7-6 MAC) moved its winning streak to five games with a 5-0 win over the Ball State Cardinals (19-27; 6-7 MAC). On Saturday afternoon at the Ball State Softball Complex, Miami notched double-digit hits for the fifth straight game and won its seventh conference game of the year, matching its Mid-American Conference win total from all of last season.
Linch dazzled in her third complete-game shutout of the season, as she scattered six hits and struck out seven in 7.0 innings. The other half of Miami's battery also excelled as junior catcher Natalie Savona single-handedly shut down the Ball State running game -- which entered the contest with 111 stolen bases -- by picking off two runners and throwing out another would-be base stealer. The RedHawks also took advantage of Ball State's fielding miscues, as they turned five errors into three unearned runs.
Miami put runners in scoring position in both the first and third innings but could not come up with the big hit, as it stranded five runners through the first three innings. In the circle, Linch cruised through the Ball State batting order the first time, facing the minimum number of batters. Miami also was helped by the strong arm of Savona as she gunned down a would-be base stealer in the first and picked off a runner from first on a throwback in the second.
Savona's accurate arm helped erase another base runner in the bottom of the fourth, as she picked off Allie Pennock at first after Pennock drew a leadoff walk. The pickoff play turned out to be huge in the inning as Taylor Yancey tripled with two outs, which would have scored Pennock. Linch then stranded Yancey at third and kept the game scoreless when she induced a foul out from Abbey Gross.
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Three Ball State errors in the top of the fifth inning helped Miami take a 2-0 lead. Junior Halle Popson was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and a Ball State fielding error on senior Leslie Macedo's one-out groundball put a pair of runners on base. After a flyout had Miami down to its final out of the inning, junior Breanna Robinson lifted a deep flyball that was dropped by Ball State leftfielder Kelli Jeziorski, allowing both runners, who were hustling on the play, to score.
Another Ball State error, this time a throwing error on the catcher Gross, led to an unearned Miami run in the top of the sixth. Sophomore Ashley Gartland led off the inning by slapping a single through the right side, and after a sacrifice bunt moved her to second, a bunt single from Popson put runners on the corners. With one out and freshman Alicia Hogl at the plate, the RedHawks executed a fake bunt and steal, with Popson swiping second uncontested, but the Cardinals attempted to throw back on Gartland at third. Gartland beat the throw back to the base with a headfirst dive, but the low throw from Gross skipped into leftfield, allowing Gartland to score and giving Miami a 3-0 lead.
Miami tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh when freshman pinch-hitter Briana Burke ripped a two-RBI double over the leftfielder's head. Junior Christine Bills singled to lead off the inning, and following a flyout, freshman Sarah Billstrom squeaked an opposite-field single through the right side. Burke then stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter and lined the first pitch she saw from Elizabeth Milian to deep leftfield, plating both Bills and Billstrom. It was Burke's ninth double of the season and her 21st and 22nd RBIs.
Popson (2-for-3) extended her hitting streak to seven games, while Bills (3-for-4) added a multi-hit effort.
Miami plays the final game of the two-game set against Ball State tomorrow at 1 p.m.
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