April 1, 2011
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ATHENS, OHIO - The Ohio softball team fought back repeatedly during its Mid-American Conference (MAC) opening doubleheader against the league's defending champs Ball State, but were swept in a doubleheader on Friday. The Bobcats dropped game one 7-6 in eight innings and fell 12-3 in game two.
Three players tallied multi-hit performances in the first game of the twinbill. Junior Alexis Joseph (Alvin, Texas) led the way with three hits, while seniors Melissa Bonner (Kings Mills, Ohio) and Sara Clark (Ontario, Calif.) notched two hits apiece. Bonner blasted two home runs in her last two at bats of the game, a solo shot in the sixth and a three-run bomb in the eighth en route to a four-RBI game for the Bobcats. Additionally, freshman Raven King (Alpine, Utah) has reached base in the last nine games.
After three innings of scoreless ball to start the game, Ball State (21-13, 2-0 MAC) got on the board in the top of the fourth. Amanda Monalto used a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Alicia Barkely and a base hit by Kate Wilczynski scored Katrina Morales who was pinch running for Taylor Rager.
Joseph responded with a solo home run to right field to cut the deficit in half for Ohio (11-15, 0-2 MAC). Following four innings of play the Bobcats trailed the Cardinals 2-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, Joseph helped even the score at two. After a single and stolen base by Jillian Van Wagnen (Lorain, Ohio), she scored on a two-out infield hit by Joseph one batter later.
Ball State manufactured a run in the sixth to reclaim a 3-2 advantage. Bonner blasted her first of two home runs, a solo shot to lead off the Ohio half of the sixth to make the score 3-3.
The Cardinals plated four runs in the top of the eighth after the bases were loaded with one out. The eventual game-winning run was scored on an Alyssa Collins base hit.
However, Ohio did not go down without a fight. Joseph and senior Paige Kemezis (Hackensack, N.J.) got themselves to second and third with no outs on a single and double respectively. Bonner hit her second home run in as many at bats to straight away center field to pull the Bobcats to within one, 7-6. Clark put a one-out single through the left side, but senior Jordan Paden (Walla Walla, Wash.) and King were retired to end the game.
Senior Emily Wethington (New Palestine, Ind.) went the first 7.1 innings of game one. She gave up six hits, allowed five runs, four of which were earned and struck out four. She was relieved by Bonner, who took the loss in the remaining two-thirds of an inning.
In game two, the Cardinals jumped out to a 10-0 lead after the top of the third inning and never looked back. Rager used a grand slam in the top of the first en route to a five-run inning for Ball State.
King got Ohio on the board in the bottom of the third with a lead-off homerun to center. The Bobcats cut the deficit to 10-2 on a Kemezis RBI single to right field which scored Van Wagnen.
Wethington added a solo home run in the fourth for Ohio. Her long ball followed a two-run fourth for Ball State.
Bonner took the loss in game two as well and fell to 2-4 on the season.
Ohio will continue MAC play on Saturday, April 2 when it begins a two-game set against Miami at the Ohio Softball Field. A single-game, first pitch is slated for 2 p.m.
