Final Stats

UNCG PDF Box
South Carolina PDF Box

COLUMBIA, S.C. - With five hits on the day by Casie Hutchinson, the Ohio softball team (2-1) split its games at day two of the Carolina Classic. The Bobcats defeated UNCG (4-4), 2-0, before falling 8-0 in six innings to South Carolina (6-1).

"We wanted to come out today and have more quality at-bats, and I think that's what we did,” head coach Jodi Hermanek said. “We had some clutch hitting in the middle of our lineup, with Casie Hutchinson, who was just on fire today, but also our table setters finally set the table for us today, with Deanna Cole and Taylor Saxton getting on together and putting pressure on the defense."

The offense got rolling in the third inning, when Deanna Cole (Akron, Ohio) singled to left field and followed up with a steal of second base. She advanced to third after a bunt from Taylor Saxton (Circleville, Ohio) put runners on the corners. Saxton took advantage of an inattentive Spartan defense following the bunt and motored to second. Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio) then came to the plate and knocked both runners in with a double into left.

That proved to be all the scoring Ohio would need and the Bobcats would take the game 2-0.

At the plate, Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio) paced the Bobcats’ offense by going 3-3 against UNCG’s pitching staff.

"I think we had a lot of athletes have a lot of quality at-bats, but they have a lot of talent on the defense and a talented pitcher,” Hermanek said. “I thought we had a lot of quality at-bats, drawing a lot of pitches, putting hard ground balls and hard shots on the defense, and I think we did that. Sometimes the ball just didn't poke through.”

In the circle, Danielle Stiene (Loveland, Ohio) tossed a complete game, tossing seven innings of three-hit ball and tallying five strikeouts in the process.

"I was definitely nervous for the first two innings, as it showed, especially in that second inning,” Stiene said. “But I just worked with Madison (Claytor) calling the game, and trusted the great defense I had behind me."

In total, Ohio racked up seven hits. In addition to those from Hutchinson, Cole and Saxton, Madison Claytor (Alpharetta, GA) and Mikayla Cooper (Delaware, Ohio) contributed with a single each.

In the second game of the day, South Carolina proved to be too much offense for the Bobcats to handle.

In the bottom of the third, South Carolina opened up the scoring when Alaynie Page hit a two-run homer, scoring Alexis Mack. Two batters later, Kennedy Clark went yard with a solo shot to make it a 3-0 ballgame.

The Gamecocks led off the bottom of the fourth with yet another home run, this time from Ansley Ard. The 4-0 lead became a 6-0 lead in the fifth, when Clark’s second homer of the game plated Krystan White.

In the sixth inning, South Carolina continued to push offensively. A leadoff walk, two singles, a run and two stolen bases set the scene for Tiara Duffy, who singled into left field to score the team’s eighth run, giving South Carolina the 8-0 victory.

At the play, the Bobcats registered four this, with Hutchinson going 2-for-3. Claytor and Samantha Bowlsbey (Farmingdale, N.J.) each added a base hit for the Bobcats.

In the circle, Savannah Jo Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) got the start, pitching four innings and allowing six runs on six hits and striking out two. Stiene pitched 1.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits.

The Bobcats wrap up action at the Carolina Classic tomorrow (Feb. 21) morning when Ohio takes on Winthrop. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m.

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