May 7, 2006

Box Score

BUFFALO, N.Y. - With its offense quieted by Buffalo starting pitcher Sophie Barstad, the Miami University softball team (21-34; 7-15 MAC) fell to the Bulls, 6-0, in its final regular season game Sunday at Nan Harvey Field. Barstad tossed a complete-game two hitter, and Miami could not overcome a five-run Buffalo fourth inning. The loss prevented Miami from earning the eighth and final spot in the Mid-American Conference Tournament.

Ohio, despite its 6-0 loss to Central Michigan, earned the No. 8 seed in next week's MAC Tournament. Both Miami and Ohio finished the season with identical MAC records, but the Bobcats owned the tiebreaker based on its series split with Kent State.

After retiring Miami in order in the top of the first, Buffalo struck first with a single run in the bottom first. With one out, Marcy Hansen doubled off the tip of the glove of a leaping Leslie Macedo (Livermore, Calif.) at third base, and following a popout, Barstad singled through the left side, scoring Hansen and giving the Bulls a 1-0 lead.

Miami could not muster a hit the first time through the batting order as Barstad stifled the RedHawks' bats. Barstad faced the minimum through three innings of work as she retired nine consecutive batters, striking out two.

Buffalo extended its lead to 6-0 with five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Bulls did not hit a ball hard in the inning as five singles, most of the bloop variety, put the RedHawks in a six-run hole. After Laura Kor reached base on a disputed single down the third base line which appeared to be foul by at least a foot, a walk, two soft RBI singles and a run-scoring groundout accounted for Buffalo's five runs.

Barstad retired the first 13 batters of the game before Macedo laced a one-out double into the rightfield gap. Despite putting its first runner of the game on base, Miami could not break into the scoring column as a strikeout and a groundout left Macedo stranded.

Sophomore Halle Popson (Solon, Ohio) was the only other RedHawk to notch a hit with her sixth-inning single, but Miami never solved Barstad and closed the season with five straight losses.

Despite the setback against Buffalo, Miami concluded a successful season that saw the RedHawks set numerous offensive records. Macedo set a new Miami single-season record with 37 runs-batted in, and the RedHawks also set new team records with 33 home runs and 188 runs-batted in. Miami also ended the season with a .277 batting average, its highest since the 1991 season.