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ATHENS, Ohio â€" Led by Savannah Jo Dorsey’s eight shutout innings and clutch hitting in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Ohio softball team (20-10) stunned No.12 Kentucky (31-5), defeating the Wildcats 1-0 in eight innings in the first game of a doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon in Athens. The Bobcats would fall to Kentucky, 3-1, in the second game of the twin bill.

“I thought we played awesome,” head coach Jodi Hermanek said. “I was really proud of our demeanor and poise and how we carried ourselves on the field both defensively and offensively. I told them that the pitching staff for Kentucky is tough and we have to fight and we have to know that strikeouts are going to come and we have to know that it’s going to take us putting pressure on the defense, not us beating the pitcher with hits. I was extremely proud of us putting pressure on early and often and being able to execute some hit and runs and slaps and steals. We kept fighting and fighting until the end. Obviously Savvy’s [Dorsey] stellar pitching performance was just something we needed and all we had to do was push one run across.”

GAME ONE
The Bobcats made noise early on the bases. In the bottom of the first, Taylor Saxton (Circleville, Ohio) led the inning off with a base hit and then stole second. Madison Claytor (Alpharetta, Ga.) would walk, putting runners on first and second, however the Bobcats would not capitalize and the game would remain scoreless after one.

Ohio would scatter hits off of Kentucky starter, Kelsey Nunley throughout the next six innings, with Saxton registering a single in the second inning and Claytor smashing a double to the rightfield wall in the top of the fourth.

On the defensive side, Savannah Jo Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) would not allow the Kentucky hitters to register a hit until the top of the fifth inning when Nikki Sagermann doubled to lead off the inning. After that, Savannah Jo Dorsey would not allow another Kentucky batter to reach the base until the top of the eighth inning when Jenny Schaper reached on a fielding error by the Ohio shortstop.

Finally, after seven and a half innings of scoreless softball, the Bobcats would finally break through in the bottom of the eighth inning. Pinch hitter Morgan Geno (Chillicothe, Ohio) led off the inning with a base hit up the middle. Michaela Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) would then reenter the game to run for Geno and then steal second. Michaela Dorsey would advance to third on a ground out by Saxton. During the Saxton at bat, Kentucky would bring in Meagan Prince to pitch for Nunley and after Saxton recorded the out, Deanna Cole (Akron, Ohio) would come to the plate and rocket a ball up the middle to the pitcher who mishandled it, allowing Michaela Dorsey to score from third, and giving Ohio the 1-0 walk off win.

“I don’t think I can describe it,” Savannah Jo Dorsey said. “Everyone rushed out. We had a feeling we were going to win, we were just waiting for it and in the dugout we knew it had to be a walk off and it was going to be exciting. Then Deanna [Cole] came up and she’s fast so I knew we just needed a small hit and we’d be able to win it.”  

In the circle, Savannah Jo Dorsey continued her dominance of opposing batters, pitching eight innings, allowing no runs on one hit and striking out 11 while not walking a batter.

“It feels good be to get this win because we played Kentucky my sophomore year in the Regional and we lost,” Savannah Jo Dorsey said. “Then we played them last year and we lost. So it feels really good that I got to beat them before I graduate and that these seniors got the win before they graduate.”

At the plate, Ohio had four hits with Saxton going 2-for-4 and Claytor and Geno each recording one.

“I’m a slapper and slappers don’t always get the opportunity to come up to the plate to win a game,” Cole said. “My opportunity came and I really wanted to be able to have my team’s back and come through. I also knew that with my speed I could be able to put some pressure on them. After I got it and I ran it out, Coach [Jillian Van Wagnen] tackled me and then I looked over at my team and I could see all the excitement on their faces and it just made me happy to see them excited.“

GAME TWO
In the second game of the doubleheader, Kentucky would rebound early, taking the lead in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Sagermann would single and then advance to second when Brooklin Hinz walked. Then, the next batter Abbey Cheek would smash a homerun to centerfield, putting the Wildcats up 3-0.

After top of the first, neither team would produce much offense as both starting pitchers settled down. The Bobcats would have one base runner through the first six innings, which occurred in the bottom of the first when Cole reached on an infield hit.

However, the Bobcats would not go quietly and would create a rally in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Mikayla Cooper (Delaware, Ohio) hit her seventh homerun of the season to leftfield, putting the Bobcats on the board. Claytor would follow the homerun with a base hit, however, the Ohio rally would fall short and the Bobcats would fall by the final of 3-1.

In the circle, Savannah Jo Dorsey (14-6) pitched five innings, allowing three runs on three hits and striking out four. Danielle Stiene (Loveland, Ohio) entered the game in the sixth inning and would pitch two innings, allowing no runs on three hits and striking out two. 

At the plate, Ohio had three hits with Cole, Claytor and Cooper all registering one. 

Ohio returns to action this weekend when they head to Muncie, Ind. for more Mid-American Conference action. Ohio will take on Ball State on Friday, April 1 at 3 p.m. and will take on the Cardinals on Saturday, April 2 in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

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