May 16, 2009

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Miami University softball team won an NCAA Regional softball game for the first time in school history Saturday afternoon. It staved off elimination with a 5-4 victory over Cleveland State at Alumni Field in Ann Arbor. The RedHawks improve to 33-23 on the year, while the Vikings finish the season at 35-18.

There will not be much time to savor the win for Miami as it has to face Notre Dame, which lost to Michigan 2-1 earlier Saturday, in another elimination game at 5:30 p.m.

Cleveland State got on the board first with two runs in the top of the second inning. The RedHawks answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the third. With runners on first and second, Lauren Odom singled up the middle to score Sarah Billstrom. The next batter, Kathryn Russette, hit into a groundout at second base which allowed Alicia Hogl to score and tie the game at two.

The Vikings retook the lead in the top of the fourth when they scored on a Miami fielding error. The score remained that way until the RedHawks led off the bottom of the fifth with three straight singles, the last by Russette scored Hogl to tie the game at three. Two batters later, Odom scored on a fielding error by the Cleveland State shortstop. Miami finished its scoring when Jordan McElroy put down a suicide squeeze bunt and Russette slid under the tag.

That extra run proved to be crucial as the Vikings loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh. Miami starter Jessica Simpson struck out the next hitter, but Lia Gordan followed with an infield single that scored Andrea Nagy. While Billstrom and Meghan Mawn had tried unsuccessfully to execute a fielder’s choice at second base the runner behind Nagy, Christa Coppus attempted to score from second base. Mawn threw the ball to Jenna McGivney at home, who applied to tag to give the RedHawks the historic 5-4 win.

Simpson pitched well in getting her 24th win on the season. She gave up three earned runs on eight hits and struck out seven. Billstrom was 3-for-4 with one run scored, while Russette was 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored. The RedHawks had 12 hits, which was only one off the season high of 13 set April 18 against Northern Illinois.