March 21, 2015
ATHENS, Ohio --The Ohio softball team (6-18) got a much-needed win on Saturday (March 21), taking down Niagara (0-15) by a score of 7-1 in its 2015 home opener at the Ohio Softball Field.
Sophomore Casie Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio) went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI while senior Adrienne Gebele (Anapolis, Md.) doubled, drove in a pair of runs and scored another for the Bobcats.
Senior Kaylin Clarke (North Royalton, Ohio) went the distance for Ohio, fanning four while giving up an unearned run on seven hits and a walk. She improved to a 4-3 in the circle on the season.
Senior Katelyn Gruarin led the Purple Eagles with a three-hit performance that included two doubles. She drove in Niagara's lone run.
Junior Sydney Smyers was saddled with the pitching defeat for Niagara, falling to 0-8 on the season. She allowed seven runs -- three of them earned -- on eight hits and four walks in six innings. She struck out two.
Niagara tallied the contest's first run in the top of the third inning when freshman Sarah Trifoso reached on an Ohio fielding error and scored on a double by Gruarin.
The lead was short lived for the Purple Eagles, however, as the Bobcats plated three runs in the home half of the third. Senior Sloan Walker (Cypress, Texas) got things started by legging out a one-out bunt single. Junior Amanda Dalton (Salem, Va.) followed with a base hit down the left field line. Walker stole third, and she and Dalton both scored as Niagara junior catcher Victoria Bretz's attempt to throw Walker out at third missed its mark and wound up in left field. Hutchinson followed with a double to center and scored Ohio's third run on a base hit to right center by Clarke.
The Bobcats tacked on three more in the fifth. Clarke and redshirt senior Raven King (Alpine, Utah) drew back-to-back two-out walks, setting the table for a two-RBI double down the right field line by Gebele. Freshman Mikayla Cooper (Delware, Ohio) then doubled to right center to score Gebele and make it 6-1 in favor of Ohio.
Ohio tacked on one more insurance run in the sixth when senior Timmie Rappe (Wheaton, Ill.) reached on a fielding error and scored two outs later on a base hit up the middle by Hutchinson.
The Bobcats take aim at the weekend series victory on Sunday (March 22) at the Ohio Softball Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
Sophomore Casie Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio) went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI while senior Adrienne Gebele (Anapolis, Md.) doubled, drove in a pair of runs and scored another for the Bobcats.
Senior Kaylin Clarke (North Royalton, Ohio) went the distance for Ohio, fanning four while giving up an unearned run on seven hits and a walk. She improved to a 4-3 in the circle on the season.
Senior Katelyn Gruarin led the Purple Eagles with a three-hit performance that included two doubles. She drove in Niagara's lone run.
Junior Sydney Smyers was saddled with the pitching defeat for Niagara, falling to 0-8 on the season. She allowed seven runs -- three of them earned -- on eight hits and four walks in six innings. She struck out two.
Niagara tallied the contest's first run in the top of the third inning when freshman Sarah Trifoso reached on an Ohio fielding error and scored on a double by Gruarin.
The lead was short lived for the Purple Eagles, however, as the Bobcats plated three runs in the home half of the third. Senior Sloan Walker (Cypress, Texas) got things started by legging out a one-out bunt single. Junior Amanda Dalton (Salem, Va.) followed with a base hit down the left field line. Walker stole third, and she and Dalton both scored as Niagara junior catcher Victoria Bretz's attempt to throw Walker out at third missed its mark and wound up in left field. Hutchinson followed with a double to center and scored Ohio's third run on a base hit to right center by Clarke.
The Bobcats tacked on three more in the fifth. Clarke and redshirt senior Raven King (Alpine, Utah) drew back-to-back two-out walks, setting the table for a two-RBI double down the right field line by Gebele. Freshman Mikayla Cooper (Delware, Ohio) then doubled to right center to score Gebele and make it 6-1 in favor of Ohio.
Ohio tacked on one more insurance run in the sixth when senior Timmie Rappe (Wheaton, Ill.) reached on a fielding error and scored two outs later on a base hit up the middle by Hutchinson.
The Bobcats take aim at the weekend series victory on Sunday (March 22) at the Ohio Softball Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
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