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May 15, 2005
AKRON, Ohio - When junior Courtney Salmon (Auburn, Wash./Auburn) threw a third strike by Marshall's Noelle Adams in the seventh inning, the third time officially became the charm. The 2005 Miami University softball team (34-24), after two previous near-misses in the Mid-American Conference Tournament final, became the first RedHawk squad in the 31-year history of the program to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Sunday at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio, the team completed a 4-0 run at the MAC Tournament, knocking off top-seeded Marshall (38-20), 5-2.
Senior Jackie Poggendorf (Phoenix, Ariz./Shadow Mountain) (21-14) earned MAC Tournament MVP honors for the second time in her career--the first coming in 2003--after winning three games and allowing two runs in 15.2 innings of work for an 0.89 tournament ERA. In Sunday's final, she allowed only two hits and a walk in five innings of work, striking out five before giving way to Salmon for the last two frames. Salmon allowed two hits, a run and a walk, striking out two.
The RedHawks scored three first-inning runs in the top half of the frame to take a command of the game they would not relinquish. With Poggendorf on second and junior Bianca Paz (Mesilla, N.M./Las Cruces) on first because of a fielding error by Herd shortstop Jessica Williams on Paz' batted ball, junior Kristen Hays (Phoenix, Ariz./Shadow Mountain) singled to score Poggendorf and give the RedHawks a 1-0 lead. Three batters later, the bases were loaded for sophomore Leslie Macedo (Livermore, Calif./Livermore), who responded with a two-RBI single for the 3-0 Red and White advantage.
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Marshall got one back in the bottom of the third on an Amanda Williams solo shot to left-center, but Miami regained its three-run lead in the top half of the fifth when Hays beat out a throw from shortstop to allow Poggendorf to score from third with two outs. After Marshall starter Abby Harter (14-10) allowed a single off her glove to the next batter, freshman Breanna Robinson (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic), she was removed in favor of Randi Nielson. Harter earned only one of Miami's four runs, giving up six hits and a walk while striking out three. The RedHawks extended the lead to 5-1 in the sixth when freshman Halle Popson's (Solon, Ohio/Solon) batted ball snuck under the glove of Herd third baseman Leigh Wintter, allowing Macedo to score from third. Marshall closed to within 5-2 in its last at bat with a Samantha Rodriguez solo shot to left-center, but the RedHawks held on for the win.
Outside of the two solo home runs, only one Marshall runner got as far as third base, as Courtney Kacenga stole third without a throw after a seventh-inning, two-out double.
In addition to Poggendorf, three RedHawks earned all-tournament honors, including Popson, Hays and Paz. For the latter two, the recognition was the second in as many seasons.
The RedHawks learn their NCAA Tournament destination this evening on ESPNEWS. The station will air the bracket announcement between 7:30 and 8 p.m.
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