April 29, 2007
Box Score
KALAMAZOO, Ohio - The Ohio softball team totaled 16 hits in a 9-2 Mid-American Conference victory over Western Michigan on Sunday.
"We put forth a total team effort today," said Head Coach Jill Matyuch. "We made a number of changes and our players stepped up with confidence and executed perfectly."
The Bobcats (22-26, 9-9 MAC) scored the first run of the game in the top of the first inning. Debbie Szalejko (Beavercreek, Ohio) pushed her hitting streak to a season-high 11 games after leading off the inning with a single up the middle. Four batters later, Marian Davis (Brighton, Ohio) picked up an RBI with a single to right field to score Szalejko and give Ohio a 1-0 lead. Szalejko finished the game 3-for-5 while Davis went 2-for-4, both finished with two RBI each.
Ohio added another run to its advantage in the third inning. Pinch-hitter Shalene Petrich (Chehalis, Wash.) singled to the pitcher, advanced to second on a hit, went to third on a walk and scored on a fielder's choice for a 2-0 Ohio lead. Petrich went 2-for-3 in the game.
Three more hits, including an RBI single resulted in another run for the Bobcats in the top of the fourth. Courtney Waters (Eagle River, Ohio) hit a single up the middle and advanced to third on a hit by Szalejko and a throwing error by the Bronco's shortstop. Petrich then hit a single to left field to score Waters and put Ohio up 3-0. Waters ended the game 2-for-2.
Western Michigan (18-19, 10-8) countered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth to pull within one, 3-2. Molly Mroczek scored the first run on a RBI single by Kristin Strange, who scored the second run on a wild pitch.
The Bobcats took a 4-2 lead in the top of the sixth. Allie Farrington (Wilton, NH) hit an RBI single to score Szalejko who reached on a fielder's choice before scoring from second base. Farrington went 2-for-3 in the game.
Ohio capped the win with five runs in the top of the seventh. Davis led off the inning with a single to left field and was batted in on a home run by Candace Saucedo (Ontario, Calif.). Szalejko belted a two-run triple and scored herself on a RBI single by Maureen McKelvey (Stow, Ohio). Saucedo went 2-for-4 in the game, while McKelvey went 1-for-1.
Starter Michelle Sauter (Chehalis, Wash.) struck out one batter and allowed three hits to take the victory for Ohio. Kyla Sullivan struck out one batter, walked three and allowed 13 hits to take the loss for Western Michigan. Natalie Armstrong (Murrysville, Pa.) fanned three batters and gave up one hit and zero runs in 3.2 innings of relief for Ohio.
The Bobcats will wrap up the regular season with a four-game homestand next weekend. On Friday, Ohio hosts a doubleheader with Central Michigan followed by single games against Eastern Michigan on Saturday and Sunday.
