Final Stats

Ohio vs. Army Boxscore | Ohio vs. Quinnipiac Boxscore 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. â€" The Ohio softball team split the final day of the First Pitch Classic hosted by UNC Charlotte on Saturday. In game one, the Bobcats fell to Army 9-8, in game two they defeated Quinnipiac for the second time during the weekend, finishing play with the 15-5 six inning victory.  

The Bobcats (3-3) took on Army (3-6) in the morning. The Bobcats jump on board early in the bottom of the first inning when Sloan Walker (Cypress, Texas) led the inning off with a triple to left center and then later scored on an RBI single by Mikayla Cooper (Delaware, Ohio). The next batter, Casie Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio) then hit a two-run homerun to left center to give the Bobcats an early 3-0 lead.

Army got on the board in the top of the third on a solo homerun by Kasey McCravey, cutting the score to 3-1.

Ohio responded and added on in the bottom of the third inning when Raven King (Alpine, Utah) scored on an RBI single to left field by Sam Bowlsbey (Farmingdale, N.J.). The next batter, Dakota Pyles (Galloway, Ohio) then promptly hit a two-run homerun to left center, giving the Bobcats a 6-0 lead. The Bobcats went up 7-0 in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a solo homerun to leftfield by Cooper.

In the top of the fifth inning, Army stormed back, scoring seven runs on five hits and taking

Ohio tied the game in the bottom of the frame when King scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Pyles to tie the game at 8-8.

Unfortunately, Army would take a 9-8 lead in the top of the seventh on an Alex Gaff homerun to leftfield and would ultimately win the game by that final.

Offensively, the Bobcats had 12 hits. Cooper led the way, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two runs batted in and a homerun. Pyles went 1-for-3 with a homerun, three RBIs and a run scored and Hutchinson added two RBIs and a homerun for the Bobcats.

In the circle, Sydney Compston (Wellston, Ohio) started for Ohio, pitching four innings and allowing three runs on six hits. Leanna Bachman (Carroll, Ohio) pitched a third of an inning, allowing five runs on four hits and striking out one. Kaylin Clarke (North Royalton, Ohio) finished up the game, pitching the final two and two thirds innings, giving up one run on three hits and striking out three.

Later in the evening, the Bobcats faced Quinnipiac (1-3) for the second time during the weekend. The Bobcats jumped out to an early lead, scoring three runs on the top of the first inning. Hutchinson started the scoring when she hit a two-RBI double to left center, scoring Amanda Dalton (Salem, Va.) and Walker. The next batter, Clarke, singled to centerfield, scoring Hutchinson and putting Ohio up 3-0.

The Bobcats added one in the top portion of the second inning when Adrienne Gebele (Annapolis, M.D.) scored on a single up the middle by Walker.

Quinnipiac got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, scoring three runs on four hits and was led by a two-run homerun by Nikki Barba and a solo homerun by Molly Jarrett.

In the top of the sixth inning, the Bobcat offense broke out, scoring nine runs on six hits. In the inning, Bowlsbey hit a three-RBI double to left center, Gebele hit a two-run homerun to centerfield and Dalton tripled to right center to help put Ohio up 15-3.

In the bottom of the frame, Quinnipiac scored two runs but would not get any more offense and Ohio would win 15-5 in six innings.

At the plate, Ohio strung together 16 hits. Walker, Dalton and Gebele all had three hits and Bowlsbey led the way with three RBIs. Cooper, King and Gebele all went yard, Hutchinson and Bowlsbey both had a double and Dalton hit a triple.

In the circle, Clarke got the start, pitching six innings and allowing five runs on six hits and striking out six.

Up next, the Bobcats head to Bowling Green, Ky. Feb. 20 and 21. Ohio will face IUPUI, St. Louis, Eastern Illinois and Western Kentucky in the two-day tournament.

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