OXFORD — An offensive explosion from Miami University’s softball team powered them to a doubleheader sweep in the opening day of the Miami Invitational presented by Best Western—Sycamore Inn Saturday afternoon at the Miami Softball Stadium.
The RedHawks (10-11) overcame an 11-day layoff to tally 25 hits over a pair of run-rule victories: a 9-1 six-inning result over Detroit Mercy and an 11-2 contest against Fort Wayne. Miami played the long ball brilliantly, accumulating four home runs over the double-dip.
Miami struck first in the bottom of the first as junior right fielder Megan Wurts tripled to right, eventually coming home on a sacrifice fly by sophomore first baseman Johniann Wahl to make it 1-0.
After the Titans (3-18) answered with a homer to left in the top of the second, sophomore starter Shannon Hohman settled in and only allowed one hit for the rest of the contest. The RedHawks capitalized on the terrific outing with a four-run third inning that started with a double to left center by freshman left fielder Haeley Tran and was capped off by a two-run homer to center by junior center fielder Kaitlyn Gliha.
Following a scoreless fourth, Miami extended its lead in the bottom of the fifth with two insurance runs. Senior designated player Lauren Anderson led off with a double to right center, leading to junior third baseman Kat Lee loading the bases with a single to left. Freshman catcher Kara Leckinger knocked in Anderson from third with a sac fly, followed by Tran’s RBI single that brought home Wahl.
In the bottom of the sixth, the RedHawks sealed a run-rule victory with a pair of doubles, notably one from Lee that scored Gliha and Anderson to close the game at 9-1.
Four RedHawks finished with two hits in the game, led by Gliha’s home run and Wurts’ triple. Hohman improved to 3-3 with 6 innings of two-hit ball and four strikeouts.
The Red and White picked up where they left off in the top of the first against the Mastodons (5-21) as Wahl crushed a three-run homer to center that scored Anderson and sophomore shortstop Michaela Schlattman.
Miami followed it up with another three-run frame in the second as senior second baseman Eryn McCarver, making her first appearance of the season in the doubleheader, singled to right and brought in Lee from second. Later, Wurts homered for the first time in her Miami career to make the score, 6-0.
In the third, a pair of hit-by-pitches with bases loaded scored Wahl and Gliha, bringing the game to 8-0. Fort Wayne responded in the bottom half by using a fielding error to plate two runners, narrowing its margin to 8-2.
The top of the fourth was marked by a peculiar situation in which McCarver appeared to have stranded the bases loaded with a pop-up to first. However, a substitution error by the Mastodons gave McCarver a second chance and she took advantage with a single through the right side that scored Gliha.
Anderson then homered to center in the top of the fifth, ensuring that Miami scored in every inning of the game. In the bottom half, senior reliever Kelsey Fredericks retired the side to clinch another run-rule win.
Senior starter Carly Mortensen improved to 2-1, allowing only three hits while striking out two Mastodons. Wahl and Lee both finished 3-for-4 with Wahl racking up 3 RBIs on her first-inning homer. Miami’s 14 hits tied the season record set against San Jose State on March 4.
