May 8, 2009
Box Score
AKRON, Ohio - Ohio softball's memorable 2009 season came to a screeching end Friday afternoon at the Mid-American Conference Tournament, falling 2-1 to Akron in a close-fought, extra-inning affair at Firestone Stadium. The `Cats finish the year 22-25 overall and 12-10 in MAC play, Ohio's most conference wins since 2004.
Junior Candace Saucedo (Ontario, Calif.) paced the `Cats' offense with a pair of singles to finish 2-for-3 on the day. Alexis Zambrana (Alvin, Texas) finished the day 1-for-4 with a run scored, while Deanna Hartsough (Santa Ana, Calif.) and Melissa Bonner (Kings Mills, Ohio) each came in 1-for-3. The Green and White did a good job of getting the bat on the ball, striking out just one on the day. Ohio's hurlers also turned in strong outings in the circle, limiting a Zip offense that hit over .290 as a team during the regular season to just four hits for the afternoon. Sophomore Emily Wethington (New Palestine, Ind.) scattered two hits while striking out three in a no decision. Despite giving up just a run and scattering two hits in three innings, Saucedo took the loss to finish the year 2-1.
"I was really proud of this team today," Ohio coach Jodi Hermanek said. "It obviously didn't end the way we would have hoped, but they kept fighting the whole way. They did a great job of getting the bat on the ball. The ball just didn't fall our way today."
The Green and White struck first in the top half of the first when Zambrana slid in just under the Zips' (33-23, 11-10 MAC) tag at home on a fielder's choice from Hartsough. Another runner was thrown out at third on the play, or the `Cats could have had a bigger inning as Akron retired to last hitter to stop the damage there.
Things stayed quiet until the bottom of the fourth when a unique play brought the game to a standstill. Hartsough hit a blooper to left field in which the Zips' fielder made a sliding play on the ball. The third base umpire ruled the ball hit the ground first. Hartsough advanced to first. Soon after a protest was made, and after umpiring crew convened and the rule book was checked, it was ruled that the runner abandoned her base and was automatically out in the course of the play.
Akron responded by tying the score in the top of the fifth on two-out bloop single down the left field line from Sarah Earley. Ohio would not allow any more, however, and the score remained deadlocked. After a quiet bottom half of the fifth and a quiet sixth inning, Saucedo singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh and was replaced by Lauren Histed (Shelby Township, Mich.). Histed stole second with two outs, but the Zips forced a line out to send things into extra innings.
The Zips delivered the potential deciding blow in the top of the eighth. With two outs and a runner on second, Allison door hit a long single to left center that scored the potential winning run. Ohio had its chance in the bottom half of the inning and hit the ball squarely on three occasions. Unfortunately for the Green and White, all three were right to Akron players, and the season to a crashing halt.
Ohio enjoyed a memorable offensive season in 2009, posting team marks that ranked among the top 10 in school history in hits, RBIs, doubles, triples and RBIs. A pair of `Cats moved up the school's single-season and career lists during the season. Shalene Petrich (Chehalis, Wash.) finished the season with 29 runs scored to move into eighth place on the school's career list. Her 11 steals also moved her into fourth on the all-time list. Wethington finished the year with 154 strikeouts, the second-highest single-season total. She now sits fifth all-time at Ohio.
The Green and White return all but three players off this season's squad for the 2010 campaign. Included in that group is each of Ohio's five all-conference players.
