Final Stats |  Photo Gallery 

Game One PDF Box | Game Two PDF Box

ATHENS, Ohio â€" The Ohio softball team (19-9, 2-1) split a doubleheader with Mid-American Conference West foe Western Michigan (10-15, 1-2) on Saturday afternoon in Athens. The Bobcats fell to the Broncos, 3-0, in the first game, but rebounded and took the second game by the final of 2-1, earning the series win against WMU.

“I thought Dani [Stiene] threw a great game the first game with eight strikeouts,” head coach Jodi Hermanek said. “Three walks, but two runs that scored were a base hit in the infield and a walk and they came up with a two-out double. I thought we did a great job defensively all day. I thought Dani threw a great game, we just as an offense didn’t give her any support. In the second game the script changed with Savannah [Dorsey] throwing a great game, we just got run support and Savvy did her job.”

GAME ONE
Western Michigan jumped on the board first in the top of the second inning when Gabby Schefka hit a two-out bases clearing double, scoring Sabrina Gamboa and Abby Stoner, giving WMU a 2-0 lead.

The Broncos added on another run in the top of the third inning when Kelsea Cichocki singled home Melissa Palmer, giving WMU a 3-0 lead.

Ohio threatened in the bottom of the third when Amanda Dalton (Salem, Va.) reached on a base hit and then advanced when Taylor Saxton (Circleville, Ohio) walked putting runners on first and second, however, the Bronco defense would hold the Bobcats off the scoreboard. The Bobcats would get another runner on in the bottom of the sixth, however they would not be able to push the run across and Western Michigan would take game one, 3-0.

At the plate, the Bobcats had two hits with Dalton and Saxton each recording one.

In the circle, Danielle Stiene (Loveland, Ohio) got the start, going 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits, walking three and striking out eight. Savannah Jo Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) entered the game in the sixth inning, pitching 1.1 innings and did not allow a run or a hit while striking out four.

GAME TWO
In the second game, the Bobcats rebounded quickly and took advantage of an early Bronco miscue. Leadoff batter, Dalton, reached first on an error by the third baseman, she would then steal second and advance to third on a Saxton single to shallow leftfield. Dalton would then score on a ground out by Mikayla Cooper (Delaware, Ohio) and Saxton would score when the next batter, Madison Claytor (Alpharetta, Ga.) lined a single to leftfield, putting Ohio up 2-0 early.

The Bobcat defense would then bunker down and take control of the game, only allowing two runners to reach scoring position through the first six innings.

However, the Broncos would not go quietly. In the top of the seventh with one out, Gamboa would hit a homerun to centerfield, cutting the Bobcat lead in half. The next batter, Abby Stoner would reach on a single, but then get caught stealing for the second out. Dorsey would end the game by getting Erin Binkowski to strike out, giving Ohio the 2-1 win and the series victory.

“I’m never going to doubt this team so I was confident that we would finish it out,” Dorsey said. “She hit a good pitch and got a good swing and my teammates were there to back me up.”

At the plate, Ohio had four hits with Saxton going 2-for-2 with a run scored. Dalton and Claytor added a hit and Cooper recorded an RBI.

In the circle, the Bobcats were led by Dorsey who improved her record to 13-5 by going seven innings, allowing one run on three hits and striking out 10.

“Two out of three isn’t bad but we expect more out of ourselves,” Dorsey said. “We have Ball State next week and we’ll look to get all three wins. It’s a good a start. I like doubleheaders because you always have a chance to play again. And today, losing the first game and we were able to get back out there. We expect more out of ourselves and we should have been able to drive it into them more the second game. In the end we got the win and that’s all that matters.”

Ohio returns to action Tuesday, March 29 when the Bobcat host No. 15 Kentucky for a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at the Ohio Softball Field with game two to follow.

#BleedGreen