Feb. 20, 2006

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Following Miami softball's 4-1 finish at the Troy Cox Invitational, junior Leslie Macedo (Livermore, Calif.) and freshman Ashley Gartland (Tempe, Ariz.) were two of 10 players named to the all-tournament team. Both players batted over .500, tallied ten hits and produced four multi-hit games in the five-game tournament.

Macedo was Miami's biggest run producer on the weekend, driving in 11 runs while batting .588 (10-for-17). Macedo's best game was a 2-for-3, two home run outing in Miami's 12-4 win over George Mason, as she drove in seven runs by clubbing a three-run and a grand-slam home run. In addition, Macedo finished 4-for-4 with two RBIs in a 10-2 win over Morehead State, 2-for-4 with one RBI in a 6-4 win over Utah Valley State and 2-for-3 with one RBI in a 2-0 blanking of tournament host New Mexico State. Through nine games this season, Macedo is batting .586 (17-for-29) with three home runs, two doubles, eight runs scored and 18 RBIs.

Gartland was the spark at the top of Miami's lineup throughout the tournament, batting .555 (10-for-18) with eight runs scored and two stolen bases. In extending her hitting streak to seven games, Gartland tallied four multi-hit games and also drove in five runs. Gartland started the weekend with a 2-for-4 effort against George Mason and followed with a perfect 3-for-3 outing in Miami's run-rule win over Morehead State. On Saturday she finished 1-for-3 in Miami's loss to Texas State and added a pair of 2-for-4 games in the RedHawks' two Sunday wins over Utah Valley State and New Mexico State. Gartland, who has yet to go hitless in a collegiate game, is second on the team with a .480 batting average and tied for second on the team in RBIs (five) and runs scored (eight).

Off to its best nine-game start since 2000, Miami resumes action next weekend when it travels to the Panera Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn.