May 3, 2009
Box Score
AKRON, Ohio - For the second time in as many days, one inning proved to be the difference as Ohio rode a big three-run first inning en route to a 4-0 shutout of Akron to wrap up the 2009 regular season Sunday.
The `Cats' win gave them third place in the Mid-American Conference's East Division, percentage points above the Zips. With Northern Illinois also beating Buffalo on Sunday, Ohio (22-23, 12-10 MAC) finished tied with the Huskies in conference play, but drew the sixth seed in the MAC Tournament this week by virtue of the Huskies' sweep of Ohio early in the conference season.
Being shut out and held to a season-low two hits the day before evidently did not sit well with the Green and White. It roped out eight hits on the day, including four in the first inning alone to even the series with the Zips (32-22, 11-10 MAC). Shalene Petrich (Chehalis, Wash.) and Melissa Bonner (Kings Mills, Ohio) each finished 2-for-4 to pace Ohio on the afternoon. Both of Bonner's hits went for extra bases as she picked up an RBI double in the first inning and a triple in the fifth. Deanna Hartsough (Santa Ana, Calif.) recorded a two-run double to come in 1-for-4 on the day. Emily Wethington (New Palestine, Ind.) scattered four hits in five scoreless innings to pick up the win in the circle and improve to 12-13 on the year, while Candace Saucedo (Ontario, Calif.) threw two scoreless frames to combine with Wethington for the shutout.
Facing the same Andrea Arney who had stifled them a day earlier, the `Cats hit her hard early and often by putting up three first-inning runs and chasing her out of the game after just a third of an inning. After Petrich singled with one out for the first hit of the frame, Bonner roped a double to center to bring her around from first. Wethington followed that up with a single of her own to put runners on second and third. Hartsough then doubled to score Bonner and Wethington and increase the tally to 3-0. That would be all Ohio would get in the inning, however, as the Zips responded by getting the next two hitters and stopping the damage.
Wethington did her part to ensure the `Cats held on to their lead, keeping Akron off balance by allowing just one hit through the first four innings. The Zips came close to making things very interesting in the fifth when they put a pair of runners in scoring position with two outs. Wethington forced a groundout, however, to stop the threat.
Ohio put another run on the board in the sixth on a big RBI single from freshman Alexis Zambrana (Alvin, Texas) that scored Jordan Paden (Walla Walla, Wash.). Saucedo came on for Wethington in the sixth to thwart another Akron threat and then managed to stave off the Zips' last-stitch effort in the seventh to give the `Cats the win.
Ohio now moves on to the MAC Tournament, where it opens up play Wednesday with Western Michigan. First pitch with the Broncos is set for approximately 7:30 p.m. at Firestone Stadium in Akron.
