Bobcats Victorious over ETSU, Oakland at Ringor Invite
Bobcats win Bronze Division of tournament
Contact: Jason Cunningham
3/13/2005
ROCK HILL, S.C. - The Ohio softball team captured the Bronze Division championship at the Ringor Invitational with wins against East Tennessee State and Oakland on Sunday by scores of 3-1 and 6-4, respectively. Senior Jenny Tisevich, who went 8-for-17 at the plate throughout the tournament and drove in 12 runs, was named to the all-tournament team.
?We feel really good about the weekend and our accomplishments,? Ohio softball head coach Roanna Brazier said. ?We finally put everything together and the team played like they wanted win.?
Ohio 3, East Tennessee State 1
In the opening round of the Bronze Division Championship bracket the Bobcats got a solid five innings from pitcher Zoe Heim, who picked up her second career win. Ohio put two runs on the board in the first at bat and held on to win 3-1.
Tisevich drove in Shannon Weidner, who singled through the middle to get on base, with her first home run of the season, as the Bobcats led 2-0 after the first inning. Ohio would score its third run in the fifth off a double by Kelly Rodriguez that scored Debbie Szalejko, who had reached second on two fielding errors by East Tennessee.
Heim recorded one hit and eight strike outs in five innings of work before being relieved by Kerri Harley. Natalie Armstrong would enter the game an inning later for Harley, giving up the Buccaneers only run of the game in the bottom of the sixth.
Ohio 6, Oakland 4
After two scoreless innings the Bobcats were the first to strike. Emily Futscher got Ohio going, singling to right field. Futscher advanced to second after Robin Miller struck out, bringing up Maureen McKelvey who singled to center field, moving Futscher to third. McKelvey stole second, causing an error by the Golden Grizzlies shortstop that allowed Futscher to score.
Oakland would gain a one-run lead in the next at bat, as Natalie Webb drew a walk to start the third inning and then would advance to second on a wild pitch by Heim. Heim struck out the next batter, Lindsey Schaller, and Christina Schulte would pop out to Rodriguez in center field, bringing up Camie Knorr, who homered to bring in Webb and put Oakland up 2-1.
In the bottom of the fifth Ohio would even the score. Harley singled up the middle to get Ohio?s bats going and then advanced to second on a throwing error by the first basemen, as Szalejko reached first safely. On the next pitch, Szalejko stole second, putting runners at second and third for Marian Davis, who grounded out to Oakland?s shortstop, scoring Harley.
The Golden Grizzlies would answer again. Stephanie Zellner opened the sixth inning with a double down the left field line and after Cheron Guyton came in to pinch run for Zellner, Megan Thelen drew a walk. Laura Chomokos reached first on a fielder?s choice that put Guyton out at third. A wild pitch by Harley would advance the runners, bringing up Kate Jones, who would line out to Futscher. Alexandra Perrino, who entered the game for Webb, drilled a single up the middle that would score Thelen and Chomokos. Harley gave up one more hit before Schulte grounded out to Tisevich to end the inning.
Ohio with its rally caps on scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth and held the Grizzlies in the seventh for the win. The Bobcats rattled off five hits and drew a walk, while Oakland committed three errors that scored two runs. With McKelvey and Nikki Brooks on base, Davis singled up the middle scoring both runners.
The Bobcats head back to the east coast next weekend, traveling to Raleigh, N.C., for the Wolfpack Challenge, Friday through Sunday. Ohio will face host N.C. State, Marist and St. John?s in the three-day tournament.
