May 1, 2004

Box Score: Kent State 4, Miami 2
Box Score: Kent State 6, Miami 2 (8 inn.)

OXFORD, Ohio - Miami University's softball team held 2-0 leads in both games of its doubleheader with Kent State, but came out on the short end of both games, losing 4-2 in game one and 6-2 in an eight-inning second game, Saturday afternoon at Miami Softball Field. The RedHawks fall to 20-23-1 on the season, and the Golden Flashes improve to 25-16 and 14-4 in the MAC.

The RedHawks jumped out early in game one, taking the 2-0 lead after the first inning. Senior Jessica Zogaib (Temperence, Mich./Bedford) reached on a one-out Kent State error and sophomore Bianca Paz (Mesilla, N.M./Las Cruces) followed with the first of her five hits on the day. Zogaib scored on freshman Leslie Macedo's (Livermore, Calif./Livermore) single down the right field line, while Paz moved on to third. Paz would score on a sacrifice fly by senior Jacque Molinaro (Follansbee, W.Va./Brooke).

Kent State took over in the fourth, loading the bases on a hit and two walks with just one out. Rachel Testa scored one with a single to right, while junior Jackie Poggendorf (Phoenix, Ariz./Shadow Mountain) threw out a second Golden Flash runner attempting to score firing a strike from right field. Brittany Robinson singled to the wall in center, scoring two runs and giving KSU the 3-2 lead. The scoring was capped with an unearned run in the fifth.

Sophomore Courtney Salmon (Auburn, Wa./Auburn) got the start and cruised through the first three innings, yielding just two hits in that span. Salmon gave up five hits on the day and three earned runs in the loss (7-10).

Single runs in both the third and fifth innings once again staked Miami to a 2-0 lead in game two. In the third, senior Jamie Carey (Pendleton, Ind./Pendleton Heights) led off with a bloop single just over the third baseman's head. Poggendorf followed with a double to left center, before Paz loaded the bases with an infield single. Sophomore Kristen Hays (Phoenix, Ariz./Shadow Mountain) drove in Carey with a single to right field.

In the fifth, Paz led off with a double down the right field line. After a sac bunt, Hays plated Paz with a double to right center, but was thrown out attempting to stretch her double into a triple.

The Golden Flashes tied the score at two apiece with a pair of unearned runs in the sixth, taking advantage of a Red and White error.

Miami had a chance to end the game, putting runners on first and second with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Carey led off with a single to left and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Poggendorf, prompting KSU to intentionally walk Paz, who finished 5-for-6 in the twin bill. Traci Logar induced a 4-3 double play to get out of the inning.

In the eighth, the RedHawks committed two errors and Carrie Eneix hit a three-run home run to give Kent State the 6-2 lead with no outs in the inning. Miami went down 1-2-3 in the bottom half to end the game.

Poggendorf (11-7), who shutout Kent State on Friday, went the distance and absorbed the loss. She struck out two, scattered seven hits and walked none in eight innings of work. It was the junior southpaw's fifth straight start without a walk.

The Red and White closes out its season with a doubleheader on Sunday, May 9, against Northern Illinois. Game one is set for a 1 p.m. start and is Senior Day for four RedHawk seniors.

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