The Miami University softball team finished as the runner-up in the Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament this past weekend in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Junior Jordan McElroy saw the tournament as a great test for the team.
"The biggest accomplishment during this tournament was seeing how different girls on the team can step up when they are needed to," McElroy said. "Especially dealing with injuries from a few starters, we were able to see different girls take roles that they have not been asked to take yet."
The team opened the tournament up with a 4-0 win against South Dakota State University on the first day. Miami began to dominate with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. After McElroy reached base on an error, freshman Kristy Arbour bunted for a base hit to put two on the bases. Senior Meghan Mawn came to the plate and doubled to right center, sending McElroy home. Arbour scored soon after on a wild pitch.
At the bottom of the fourth, senior Jenna McGivney led off with a single to centerfield and was replaced by freshman pinch-runner Brandi Hernandez. McElroy followed with an infield single to put two on base. A bunt by Arbour moved both into scoring position, while another bunt from Mawn brought home Hernandez and made it 3-0. Freshman Kayla Ledbetter completed the scoring with a double to left field that sent McElroy home.
On day two of the tournament, the RedHawks defeated Longwood University 1-0 in the opener but fell to the University of Hawaii 5-0 in the nightcap.
The 'Hawks got the only run of the game against Longwood right at the start in the top of the first inning. McElroy led off the game with a single to shortstop. Mawn singled to right field to move McElroy over to second. Ledbetter followed with a single to right field that sent McElroy home.
The University of Hawaii dominated the Red and White with four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Three of them came off a home run to right center. After the Hawaii scored again, junior Katie Osburn came in relief of freshman starter Paige Myers. Osburn was able to stall the Hawaii attack, giving up no runs on six hits in five innings of work.
"We noticed that we need to get more hits in clutch situations." McGivney said. "We are a good hitting team and we get a lot of hits just not always in the opportune moments that we need them."
On the final day of the tournament, the RedHawks won their first game 1-0 over Longwood in the morning and held a 2-0 lead against Hawaii in the fourth inning before the high-powered Rainbow Wahine offense gained eight runs to win 8-2.
Miami scored its run in the first game against Longwood in the top of the first inning. McElroy led off the game with an infield single to the shortstop. A single from Mawn to right field would move her over to second base. Ledbetter sent a single to bring McElroy home.
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The RedHawks scored in the top of the first against Hawaii. McElroy started the game with a single to left field. Mawn moved her over to third base with a single to right field which soon led her to home.
Miami made it 2-0 in the top of the third. McElroy led off the frame with another single. Ledbetter brought her home with a triple to deep right field. Hawaii tied it at two in the bottom of the fourth and a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth would give the Rainbow Wahine the lead. With the score 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth, Hawaii scored three runs on another home run to account for the 8-2 final score.
Miami is now 11-8 on the season.
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