April 13, 2014
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ATHENS, Ohio - Freshman Casie Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio) knocked a two-out single into right field in the bottom of the seventh inning to score sophomore Alexia Cortez (Beaufort, S.C.) from second base, sending the Ohio University softball team (23-17, 8-2 MAC) to a 3-2 walk-off victory and a Mid-American Conference East Division series sweep over Bowling Green (16-21-1, 4-6 MAC) in the Sunday (April 13) finale at the Ohio Softball Field.
The Bobcats have tallied five straight league wins and have matched the 2002 squad for the second-best start to conference play in program history. Ohio blanked Bowling Green, 6-0, in the series opener on Saturday (April 12).
The walk-off MAC win was Ohio's second in three games. The 'Cats edged Toledo, 5-4, on Friday (April 11) in the second game of a doubleheader thanks to a game-winning single by sophomore Savannah Jo Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) in the home half of the seventh.
With Sunday's contest knotted at two-all, redshirt senior Chelsea Hortman (Cincinnati, Ohio) set the stage for another dramatic win by scooting a pinch-hit single through the left side. Cortez entered the game to run for Hortman and advanced to second base by way of a base hit through the left side by senior Alyssa Wolfe (Junction City, Ohio). Two outs later, the rookie Hutchinson delivered the game-winning hit with veteran poise.
The Falcons jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when freshman Amanda Durham hit a one-out solo home run off the scoreboard in center field.
The 'Cats countered in the home half of the second, tying the game by way of a leadoff solo blast by junior Adrienne Gebele (Annapolis, Md.) - her sixth dinger of the 2014 season.
Bowling Green regained the lead in the fourth on a two-out homer over the left field wall by senior Katie Yoho.
Ohio rallied again, though, tying the game at two-all in the bottom of the fifth. Cortez coaxed a leadoff walk, then advanced to second on a passed ball. One out later, sophomore Amanda Dalton (Salem, Va.) moved Cortez to third with a single up the middle. Junior Kaylin Clarke (North Royalton, Ohio) cashed in on the opportunity with a pinch-hit RBI single to right to score Cortez.
Bowling Green threatened in the top of the seventh when freshman Madison Schrock hit a one-out single to left and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Haley Schrock. Hutchinson saved a run from being scored, though, by reaching up to grab a grounder to third by Trista Mokienko, throwing the freshman out at first and setting the stage for her walk-off winner in the bottom half.
Freshman Madison Claytor (Alpharetta, Ga.) led the way at the plate for the Bobcats, collecting two singles. The contest marked her 10th multi-hit game of the season.
Dorsey and junior Lauren McClary (Pasadena, Texas) combined to get the job done in the pitching circle. McClary started the contest, fanning seven over four frames of work. Dorsey tossed three scoreless innings of relief, striking out three and earning the pitching victory to improve to 17-12 on the season.
Ohio begins an eight-game road swing by journeying to Oxford, Ohio, to renew its Battle of the Bricks rivalry with Miami in a Friday (April 18) doubleheader before heading to Muncie, Ind., to battle Ball State on Saturday (April 19) and Sunday (April 20).
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