May 2, 2014
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ATHENS, Ohio - Junior Adrienne Gebele (Annapolis, Md.) crushed a one-out, two-run, walk-off home run to right center to elevate the Ohio University softball team (27-22, 11-6 MAC) to a 6-4 triumph over Mid-American Conference West Division foe Western Michigan (16-32, 7-12 MAC) in the opening game of a doubleheader on Friday (May 2) at the Ohio Softball Field.
The victory clinched a spot in the double-elimination 2014 MAC Tournament for the Bobcats, which will be held next week (April 7-10) at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio. Friday's contest also marked the Bobcats' second straight walk-off win at home.
Gebele's round tripper was her ninth of the 2014 season, tying her with senior Alexandria Basquez (Elk Grove, Calif.) for the team lead. She also collected her team-leading 12th double of the year.
Sophomore Amanda Dalton (Salem, Va.) posted her team-high 17th multi-hit effort of the season, going 3-for-4.
Freshman Casie Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio) went 2-for-4 and belted a one-out solo shot to right in the bottom of the fifth inning - her third round tripper of the year. The contest marked her 12th multi-hit game of the season, tying her for third on the team with Basquez.
Freshman Madison Claytor (Alpharetta, Ga.) tallied two singles, drew a walk and scored a run to help Ohio's cause. She earned her 11th multi-hit game of the year.
Sophomore pitcher Savannah Jo Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) twirled seven frames and fanned seven, increasing her school-record single-season strikeout total to 231 and improving to 20-16 in the circle on the year.
The Broncos took a 1-0 advantage in the top of the second, but Ohio countered with three scores of its own in the home half to take command of the contest. Gebele got things going with a leadoff double through the right side. One out later, Claytor legged out an infield single to short, then stole second to put two in scoring position for Ohio. Senior Alyssa Wolfe (Junction City, Ohio) came through for the 'Cats one out later with a two-RBI single back up the middle to put the Bobcats in the lead. Wolfe then advanced to second by way of an infield single by Dalton, then upped Ohio's lead to 3-1 when she scored courtesy of a Western Michigan throwing error that put freshman Taylor Saxton (Circleville, Ohio) on base.
Hutchinson made it a three-run game with her blast in the fifth, but Western Michigan evened the score at four-all with a one-out, three-run homer to center by freshman Ivy Schaaf.
Hutchinson got Ohio's final push to victory started by leading off the bottom of the seventh with a single to left. After she was replaced on the base path by senior Erin Lashley (Pickerington, Ohio), Gebele delivered the deciding two-run bomb.
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