Final Stats

Evansville Boxscore | Drake Boxscore

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. â€" The Ohio softball team (11-7) wrapped up the 2016 Indiana Classic on Sunday (March 13), defeating Evansville (11-7), 9-4, in the rain soaked first game and shutting out Drake (8-8), 4-0, in the last game. Overall, the Bobcats finished the Indiana Classic 3-1 on the weekend.

AGAINST EVANSVILLE
In the first game of the day, the Bobcats took on Evansville, with Ohio jumping on the board in the first inning. Deanna Cole (Akron, Ohio) reached first on a single through the left side, she then advanced to second on a ground out by Casie Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio) and then advance to third on a passed ball. Cole would then score when Madison Claytor (Alpharetta, Ga.) reached on an error by the Evansville second baseman. Mikayla Cooper (Delaware, Ohio) would then reach first on a base hit through the left side. Then with two outs, Natalie Alvarez (Long Beach, Calif.) crushed a double to the centerfield wall, scoring Claytor and Cooper and giving Ohio the early 3-0 lead.

“I was really proud of our contribution offensively this weekend,” head coach Jodi Hermanek said. “We did a really good job of attacking and putting up a solid number of hits all weekend long. I felt like we had some dominating performances in the circle for the team. I was really proud of our pitchers coming out today and throwing a really good attacking game in the circle.”

Ohio added a run in the top of the third when Claytor scored on a base hit through the left side by Sloan Walker (Cypress, Texas), giving the Bobcats a 4-0 lead.

After a scoreless bottom of the third where Evansville stranded a runner at third, the Bobcat bats came alive against at the top of the fourth. Taylor Saxton (Circleville, Ohio) led off the inning with a base hit and then stole second. Saxton would then score on an RBI base hit by Cole. The next batter, Hutchinson, then roped a ball down the rightfield line, scoring Cole from second. The Bobcat scoring in the fourth would end when Cooper hit a ball to shallow right field, scoring Hutchinson from third and giving Ohio a 7-0 lead.

Evansville would get on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning. Danielle Freeman led the inning off with a double, and would then score on a base hit by Ashlee Kawall. Kawall would then score on a double by Alex Latoria, who would later score on a base hit by Courtney Land. Evansville would score their final run of the inning when Hayli Scott would score on a base hit by Michal Luckett, cutting the Bobcat lead to 7-4.

Ohio got two runs back in the top of the fifth inning. Pinch hitter Samantha Bowlsbey (Farmington, N.J.) led the inning off with a base hit to leftfield and then advanced on an error by the leftfielder. Michaela Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) would re-enter the game and run for Bowlsbey. Michaela Dorsey would advance to third on a base hit by Saxton and then score on a sacrifice fly by Claytor. Later in the inning, Saxton would score on a single through the left side, giving Ohio a 9-4 lead.

After a 32 minute rain delay after the top of the fifth, play would resume with no runs scored in the final five frames, and Ohio would come away with the 9-4 victory.

Offensively, Ohio strung together a season-high 16 hits, led by Cooper who was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Walker also has three hits and an RBI. Alvarez added two hits and two RBIs. Saxton and Cole each added two hits and two runs scored and Hutchinson, Claytor, Amanda Dalton (Salem, Va.) and Bowlsbey all had one hit for Ohio.

In the circle, Danielle Stiene (Loveland, Ohio) pitched a complete seven innings, allowing four runs on five hits and striking out 10 while not allowing a walk.

AGAINST DRAKE
In the second game of the day, the Bobcats came out firing, taking an early lead once again. The inning began when Cole reached on an infield single and then would advance to second on a base hit by Hutchinson. Cole would then score on a base hit to centerfield by Cooper. Then the next batter, Alvarez would bomb a three-run shot to straight away center, registering her first career homerun and putting Ohio up 4-0 after one inning of play.

After the big first inning by the Bobcats, both pitchers settled in with Drake only getting three base runners on throughout the final six innings. For Ohio, the Bobcats would get a runner to third base in the bottom of the second inning, however that would be the last runner to reach scoring position the rest of the game.

In the circle, Savannah Jo Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) was dominate once again, pitching her second-straight complete game shutout, going seven innings, allowing no runs on four hits, walking one and striking out 10.

“She’s [Dorsey] a program changer and has been that way in her career here,” Hermanek said. “I’m just really happy for her to come out and have dominating performances like that. It makes the team around her stronger and it allows us to play with a little more ease defensively. I think our defense does a great job of having her back and making her a great pitcher as well.”

At the plate, Ohio had nine hits with Claytor and Saxton both recording two hits to lead the squad. Cole, Hutchinson, and Cooper all had a hit with a run scored, while Alvarez had a homerun and three RBIs with Dalton also adding a base hit for the Bobcats.

UP NEXT
The Bobcats return to Athens to begin the home portion of their schedule on Wednesday, March 14 when Ohio takes on Wright State. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. at the Ohio Softball Field.

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