Feb. 24, 2006
Box Score
ELON, N.C. - The Ohio softball team fell to .500 following losses to Villanova and Elon at the Elon Invitational. The Bobcats lost 6-0 to Villanova and 3-2 to Elon.
"Our pitchers put us in a position to win today," head coach Jill Matyuch said. "They hit their spots and pitched well today."
Ohio opened with the 6-0 loss to a tough Villanova team. The Wildcats, one of the top teams in the Big East last year, scored three runs in both the third and sixth inning to make up the scoring.
The Bobcats moved runners in to scoring position on three occasions were unable to muster any runs. Debbie Szalejko (Beavercreek, Ohio) led off the game with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Kelly Rodriguez (Miami, Fla.) singled to left to move Szalejko to third but Ohio was unable to score in the inning.
Szalejko set the table for the Bobcats again in the sixth, leading the inning off with a walk. Rodriguez singled for the second time to advance Szalejko to second but nothing would come of it. Ohio looked to mount a comeback in the seventh, putting runners on first and second, but was unable to push a run across against Wildcat pitcher Kat Walsh.
Rodriguez and Robin Miller (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) each singed twice for all four of Ohio's hits. Szalejko reached base twice on two walks.
Michelle Sauter (Chehalis, Wash.) took the loss, going five innings and giving up three runs, all unearned, on six hits.
The Bobcats looked to avenge a loss to Elon last weekend in the second game of the day. Ohio got on the board first with a single run in the top of third inning. Szalejko singled to start the inning and moved to second on a sac bunt by Marian Davis (Brighton, Mich.). Szalejko later advanced to third and scored when Emily Futscher (Cincinnati, Ohio) drew a bases loaded walk.
The Phoenix tallied unearned three runs in the fifth inning to gain a 3-1 edge. The Bobcats attempted to mount a comeback against the host Elon squad in the top of the seventh. Rodriguez led off with a double and advanced to third on an error. Maghan Lunsford (Centerville, Ohio) drove in Rodriguez with a groundout to cut the lead to one but Ohio was unable to score again.
Szalejko went 2-for-4 with a run while Alicia Catlette (Mogadore, Ohio) went 2-for-2 with two singles to pace the offense.
Candace Warden (Hagerstown, Md.) started and took the loss. Warden pitched four innings, giving up three unearned runs and striking out five. Zoe Heim (Ann Arbor, Mich.) pitched the final two innings, allowing no runs on only one hit.
"We put people in position to score today we just did not get them across," Matyuch said. "We need to do a better job pushing runs across."
The Bobcats will be back in action tomorrow when they play Oakland at 1:15 p.m.
