April 12, 2014
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ATHENS, Ohio - Senior Alexandria Basquez (Elk Grove, Calif.) bashed her third home run in four games while sophomore pitcher Savannah Jo Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) tossed her second shutout in as many days as the Ohio University softball team (22-17, 7-2 MAC) shut down Mid-American Conference East Division foe Bowling Green (16-20-1, 4-5 MAC), 6-0, in the weekend series opener on Saturday (April 12) at the Ohio Softball Field.
The Bobcats have come away victorious in four straight league contests and are off to their best start to conference play since 2002.
Dorsey tallied 11 strikeouts while going the distance, surrendering just three hits. She posted double digits in strikeouts for the seventh time in 2014 and improved to 16-12 on the season.
Ohio did the bulk of its damage in the second inning, putting up a four spot. Junior Adrienne Gebele (Annapolis, Md.) led off the frame by reaching on a Bowling Green fielding error. One out later, Basquez smashed her team-leading sixth home run of the season to put the 'Cats on the board. Sophomore Alexia Cortez (Beaufort, S.C.) sent a base hit back up the middle one out later. Senior Alyssa Wolfe (Junction City, Ohio) was hit by a pitch to put two runners on, then sophomore Amanda Dalton (Salem, Va.) loaded the bases with a single. That set the table for freshman Taylor Saxton (Circleville, Ohio), who plated two more runs with a two-out single to center to expand Ohio's lead to 4-0.
Dorsey kept Bowling Green's bats in check, retiring 13 straight between the top of the first and the top of the fifth.
The Bobcats added two more insurance runs in the fifth. Freshman Casie Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio) drew a leadoff walk, then was replaced on the base path by sophomore pinch runner Sloan Walker (Cypress, Texas). Gebele made it 5-0 with a double to right center to bring in Walker. Gebele moved to third two outs later on a single through the ride side by freshman Madison Claytor (Alpharetta, Ga.), then scored the sixth run on a base hit down the left field line by Cortez.
The Falcons threatened in the top of the sixth with two runners in scoring position with one out, but Dorsey and her defense worked through the trouble to preserve the shutout.
Claytor and Cortez led the way at the plate with two hits apiece while Basquez recorded her team-leading 10th multi-RBI game of the season. Saxton has made five straight starts in left field for Ohio and is hitting .385 with five hits during that time frame.
The Bobcats takes aim at the series sweep of Bowling Green on Sunday (April 13). First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET at the Ohio Softball Field. Sunday is designated as a 'Bark at the Park Day.' Fans are welcome to bring their dogs to the game.
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