Softball Advances to Quarterfinals of Wolfpack Challenge
Bobcats pick up wins against St. John?s and Fairfield
Contact: Shanon Strenkert
3/19/2005
RALEIGH ? The Ohio softball team finished up pool play on day two of the Wolfpack Challenge with a 9-5 win against St. John?s and then as the No. 8 seed advanced to the quarterfinal round of the tournament defeating Faifield 4-3. Ohio recorded 25 hits in its two games with Courtney Waters leading the Bobcats going 9-for-5 from the plate, including a triple, driving in three RBIs, scoring twice and tallying and coming up with a steal.
Ohio 9, St. John?s 5
The Bobcats scored a run in every inning, including tallying two in the third, fifth and sixth for the 9-5 victory. Waters got Ohio going early, leading off the game with a bunt to get on base. She would later score on a throwing error to put the Bobcats up 1-0.
In the second, Maureen McKelvey led off with a walk, she would advance to second on a ground out to third by Debbie Szalejko on the next at bat. Waters hit her career first triple bringing in McKelvey to make it a 2-0 Bobcat lead.
Again the lead off hitter started things off for Ohio in the third, as Jenny Tisevich singled to third base. Tisevich advanced to second on a fielder choice, as St. John?s got Emily Futscher out at first. Robin Miller then singled and made it to second on a throwing error, scoring Tisevich. McKelvey, batting in the eighth position, doubled down the left field line bringing in Miller, to give Ohio a 4-0 advantage heading into the fourth.
The Bobcats would add to its lead, as Marian Davis, who singled to right field to get on base, scored on a single down the left field line off the bat of Tisevich.
St. John?s nearly knotted the score up as the Red Storm scored four run in the fifth. Tami Hill started the rally singling to second base and then scoring on a base hit by Allina Sainz. With two runners on Christina Tucker homered to bring the score within one, 5-4.
Ohio continued to add to its total picking up two in the fifth and one in sixth. Kelly Rodriguez extended the Bobcats lead to four runs, knocking one out of the park with Alicia Catlette on base as Ohio won 9-5. Natalie Armstrong was credited with the win, improving to 2-2.
No. 8 Ohio 4, No. 9 Fairfield 3
The Bobcats got on the board first after two scoreless innings as Waters again led off with a single. Tisevich lined one deep down the left field line, to score Waters, taking a 1-0 lead.
Ohio would add two more in the next inning as Rodriguez and Lunsford scored on errors. In the fifth the Bobcats would make it a 4-0 game as Tisevich, who led the inning off with a double, was scored by Miller, who grounded out to the pitcher.
Fairfield closed the gap in the sixth scoring three, but the rally fell short, as the Bobcats advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Wolfpack Challenge with a 4-3 win against the Stags.
The Bobcats, who improve to 8-13 overall, return to action tomorrow to face Western Kentucky at 10 a.m., the winner will move on to play No. 1 Purdue at noon.
