Redhawks mercy rule Colonels 15-2

The Miami RedHawks softball team (17-6) beat the Eastern Kentucky Colonels (18-9) 15-2 in a mercy rule on Wednesday.

This victory pushed the team to a perfect 9-0 at home and kept their win streak alive at 11 in a row.

After senior starting pitcher Taylor Rathe tossed a scoreless first frame, the Miami bats went to work.

A hit by pitch, error and a walk loaded up the bases with no outs. The cleanup hitter, junior shortstop Adriana Barlow, stepped up to the plate.

A quick flick of her wrists shot the ball into right field, where the strong winds carried it over the fence for a grand slam and a 4-0 lead.

It was the only hit of the inning, and it set the tone for the rest of the game.

Rathe induced three popups to breeze through a scoreless top of the second.

Barlow flexed her muscles again. After two walks and a strikeout opened the inning, she lined a double into the right-center field gap, driving home freshman outfielder Karlee Juarez.

In the top of the third, Rathe found herself in some trouble.

After a leadoff bunt single by junior Samantha Reynoso, freshman Ariyana Miranda lined a single to right. A miscue by the Miami defense caused Reynoso to sprint to the plate, where she was tagged out on a close play.

A lineout to the shortstop off the bat of junior Carly Robinson allowed the Redhawks to escape the inning unscathed.

In the bottom of the third, the Redhawks stamped out any hope for the Colonels.

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Back-to-back singles by senior outfielder Morgan Lott and junior catcher Riley Coyne opened the door for senior outfielder Jada Dotson to mash a three-run home run to left field, making the score 8-0, Miami.

The onslaught continued.

Freshman infielder Karli Spaid beat out an infield single, immediately stole second base, then advanced to third on a bad throw. Then, junior outfielder Allie Cummins crushed a 2-run homerun to right field.

10-0.

Barlow picked up her third hit of the day before being brought home by newly entered senior outfielder Lily Wilmot.

The inning mercifully ended on an outstanding diving stop and glove flip to second base from Colonel freshman Jeanay Riley.

In the top of the fourth, Eastern Kentucky finally managed to fight back.

A leadoff hit by pitch granted the opportunity for senior Mollie Paulick to smack a double and pick up the Colonels’ first run. She later scored herself on a wild pitch to make the score 11-2.

The scoring continued for Miami in the bottom of the fourth. Despite a great catch at the wall by Eastern Kentucky center fielder junior Sammi Miller, the Redhawks scored four more times in the inning.

This included a three-run missile off the bat of Cummins for her second homer of the afternoon.

A fourth hit from Barlow and a single to center from Wilmot pushed the score to 15-2.

Freshman Emma Summer came out to record the final three outs, allowing zero earned runs.

Rathe picked up the win while throwing four innings and allowing two earned runs.

Junior Tori Peterson takes the loss while pitching two thirds of an inning and allowing three earned runs. Junior Bethany Todd allowed eleven earned runs in the remainder of the innings.

The offensive stars of the game were Cummins, who hit two home runs and picked up five RBI, and Barlow, who went 4-4 with five RBI. Barlow was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.

The Redhawks will try to keep their win streak alive Tuesday, April 6 at 4 p.m. against Butler University at Miami Softball Stadium.

orzeched@miamioh.edu