April 23, 2008
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio softball team swept Ohio Valley, 14-0 and 5-0, in a twinbill Wednesday afternoon at the Ohio Softball Field. Ohio improved to a 20-19 record and Ohio Valley fell to 11-22.
The `Cats scored a season-high 14 runs in game one, while senior Michelle Sauter (Chehalis, Wash.) pitched a perfect game allowing zero hits, zero walks, and zero hit-by-pitches. She also struck out a season-high 10 batters, putting her one strikeout away from tying Heather Hagen (1999-02) for the most strikeouts in program history. Sauter is now 10-8 on the season.
The Bobcats scored in each inning of the game, starting with three runs in the first. Senior Courtney Waters (Eagle River, Alaska) scored the first run on a wild pitch, followed by sophomore Shalene Petrich (Chehalis, Wash.) who scored on a walk with bases loaded. Senior Maureen McKelvey (Stow, Ohio) scored the last run of the inning as senior Alicia Catlette (Mogadore, Ohio) was walked at the plate.
After striking out one batter in the opening inning, Sauter struck out three straight to quickly end the top of the second for the Scots. Ohio scored two runs on three hits in its half of the inning as Petrich doubled down the left field line for the RBI to score Waters. She then scored on an RBI single by freshman Melissa Bonner (Kings Mills, Ohio).
Ohio proved to be too much for its opponents in the bottom of the third. The Bobcats scored eight runs and had three hits. Catlette and freshman Paige Kemezis (Hackensack, N.J.) were first to reach home as they scored on OVU errors. Senior Amanda Sacks (Chugiak, Alaska) then scored her first and only run of the game as Bonner was walked with bases loaded. Waters then scored on a wild pitch and Petrich scored on an RBI single by McKelvey. Bonner then scored on a passed ball, and Catlette hit a two-RBI double to score McKelvey and sophomore Deanna Hartsough (Santa Ana, Calif.) to end the scoring rally.
Sauter struck out two more in the top of the fourth, before Ohio scored a run in the bottom of the fourth to cap the victory. Pinch hitter Allie Farrington (Wilton, N.H.) batted freshman Sara Clark (Ontario, Calif.) home with a single to center field.
Petrich finished 2-for-2 in the game with three runs and an RBI. Waters was 1-for-1 with three runs scored. McKelvey was 1-for-2 with two runs, and Bonner and Catlette both went 1-for-1. Bonner also had two RBI and Catlette finished with three.
Monica Wigal took the pitching loss for the Scots. She gave up seven hits in the game and walked 10. She had zero strikeouts.
In game two, freshman pitcher Emily Wethington (New Palestine, Ind.) started the game striking out the first five batters she faced. She pitched three innings before sophomore Candace Saucedo (Ontario, Calif.) came in and pitched the last four. Saucedo earned the win and struck out three.
Sarah Davidson took the loss in the circle for the Scots. She gave up 12 hits and had zero strikeouts.
Waters, Sacks, McKelvey, Hartsough and Petrich scored runs for the `Cats in game two. Waters led the first inning off with a triple to center field and scored two batters later on an RBI double by Bonner. She was 2-for-4 in the game.
In the bottom of the third, McKelvey hit her second ever home run that scored Sacks. Hartsough was batted home on a sacrifice fly by Kemezis in the bottom of the fifth and Petrich scored Ohio's last run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Bonner. Bonner went 2-for-4 in the game with two RBI. Waters was also 2-for-4, while Hartsough finished 3-for-4.
Ohio will continue its homestand and return to conference play this weekend. The `Cats will host a doubleheader with Northern Illinois on Friday and a two-game series against Western Michigan on Saturday and Sunday.
