April 17, 2011
Game 1 Final Stats | Game 2 Final Stats
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Ohio softball team was swept in a Mid-American Conference (MAC) doubleheader at Western Michigan on Sunday. The Bobcats lost the first game 6-3 before they dropped the second game 8-3 at Fran Ebert Field. The pair of losses drops Ohio to 15-18 overall and 4-5 in the MAC.
Senior Paige Kemezis (Hackensack, N.J.) and junior Brooke Morgart (Wayne, Ohio) had two hits each in games two and one respectively. Kemezis finished the day with two runs scored and two RBIs. Senior Jordan Paden (Walla Walla, Wash.) hit a two-run home run to centerfield in game two, her second of the season.
In game one, the Bobcats scored first in the bottom of the third. After Morgart singled to lead off the inning, she advanced to second on a Jillian Van Wagnen (Lorain, Ohio) sacrifice bunt and got to third on a ground out by Kemezis. She scored on a wild pitch by Western Michigan starter Meredith Whitney to give Ohio a 1-0 lead.
Western Michigan (14-24, 8-4 MAC) took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth and never looked back. The Broncos scored a pair of runs in the fourth on a wild pitch and an RBI single by Allie Carlson, which scored Christina Pigozzi.
A two-out, two-run home run by Diana Patterson gave Western Michigan a 5-1 advantage after five innings of play. The host Broncos added a run in the sixth on a Lexi Jager RBI single up the middle.
Ohio rallied in the top of the seventh and scored two runs to arrive at the final score. Van Wagnen got on base with one out on a fielder's choice and stole second. After she advanced to third on a ground out by Alexis Joseph (Alvin, Texas), Kemezis and Mel Bonner (Kings Mills, Ohio) hit back-to-back doubles into the outfield gaps to score two runs. Senior Emily Wethington (New Palestine, Ind.) struck out to end the game.
The Bobcats led early in game two. After an inning and a half, Ohio held a 3-2 advantage on Western Michigan. Kemezis hit a solo home run in the first, while Paden hit a two-run shot in the second.
The Broncos tied the score at three a piece in the fifth on an RBI triple by Jager that scored Whitney. Western Michigan plated five runs in the bottom of the fifth. The two key hits were a pinch-hit bases clearing double from Kayla Houston and a two-run home run by Whitney
Wethington suffered the loss in game one. She fell to 12-7 on the season and threw five innings in the defeat. Bonner fell to 2-5 on the year, and was given the setback in game two. She threw 4.2 innings and gave up eight runs on nine hits. Six of the runs were earned. Bonner struck out three batters.
Ohio returns to home to the Ohio Softball Field on Wednesday, April 20. The Bobcats will step away from MAC play and host in-state rival Ohio State in a doubleheader. First pitch of game one is slated for 2 p.m.
