SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Even though Miami University's softball team dropped its first two games at the Ninth Annual Capital Classic, the team proved it will be a difficult team to contend with as the season continues on. This was evident in how the team's performance changed from game one to game two.

The RedHawks kicked the tournament off against No. 3-ranked California. The Bears entered the game with a 28-0 record and a first-place finish at the National Invitational Softball Tournament, which Miami participated in, last weekend in San Jose, Calif.

Unfortunately for the Red and White, Cal did not lose a beat as it went on to win 13-1 in five innings. The game was called because the Bears were up by more than eight runs after five innings.

Miami's lone run came in the bottom of the fifth inning when right fielder Erin Kucera (Littleton, Colo./Chatfield) hit a triple into right field to score pitcher Amber Arnold (Dana Point, Calif./St. Margaret's). Kucera's hit ended Cal pitchers Nicole DiSalvio and Kourtney Davis combined no-hitter. The run also ended Cal's five-game streak of giving up no runs.

In Miami's second game of the day, it played Purdue, which is a team it is already familiar with. Back on Feb. 16, the RedHawks fell to the Boilermakers 2-0 in the UNC Triangle Classic.

In Thursday's game, after falling behind 2-0 in the first inning against the Boilermakers, the RedHawks bounced back to score one run in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings to tie the score up at 4-4. The comeback came mostly off the bats of left fielder Jody Kermode (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Northern) and catcher Nicki Pelfrey (Fremont, Ohio/Fremont Ross), who both finished with two hits and a RBI.

Miami's comeback fell short in the bottom of the fifth inning when Purdue shortstop Katie Crabtree scored off a sacrifice from catcher Keely Povlitz. With the fifth inning run by Crabtree, Miami fell 5-4.

The RedHawks will finish their pool play Friday at 1 p.m. against Eastern Illinois and Western Kentucky at 5 p.m.

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