Final Stats

Game One PDF Boxscore | Game Two PDF Boxscore

MUNCIE, Ind. â€" The Ohio softball team (20-13, 2-4 MAC) dropped a doubleheader to Mid-American Conference West foe Ball State (17-18, 3-3 MAC) on Saturday in a windy and snowy Muncie, Ind. In the first game, the Bobcats fell 3-2 and would drop game two by the final of 8-6.

GAME ONE
Ball State struck first in the bottom of the first inning when Madison Lee led the game off with a double to centerfield. She would later advance to third on a wild pitch and then score on another wild pitch. India Steward, who walked earlier in the inning, would score on a sacrifice fly by Emily Dabkowski, giving the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.

The Bobcats responded in the top of the next frame when with one out, Madison Claytor (Alpharetta, Ohio) crushed a double off the top of the leftfield wall. She then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Sloan Walker (Cypress, Texas) and would score when Casie Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio) rope a single to centerfield, cutting the Ball State lead to 2-1.

The Bobcats would even the score in the top of the third inning when Taylor Saxton (Circleville, Ohio) led the inning off with an infield single. She would then steal second and then swipe third, setting her up to score on a sacrifice fly by Mikayla Cooper (Delaware, Ohio), tying the game at 2-2.

The Cardinals regained the lead in the bottom of the third inning when Lee led the inning off with her second double of the game and she would later score on a throwing error, putting Ball State back up 3-2.

The Bobcats would put together a rally in the top of the seventh inning, loading the bases with one out. However, the Bobcats would hit into a force play and end the game with a strikeout, falling to Ball State 3-2.

In the circle, Savannah Jo Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) pitched six innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and striking out six.

At the plate, the Bobcats had five hits with Saxton, Hutchinson, Cooper, Claytor and Morgan Geno (Chillicothe, Ohio) all registering one hit.

GAME TWO
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Bobcats struck first in the top of the second inning when Deanna Cole (Akron, Ohio) led the inning off with a walk, she then stole second and would score on a base hit by Geno, putting the Bobcats up 1-0.

However, Ball State would respond in the bottom of the frame when Rachel Houk would score on double by Selena Reyna. Then the next batter, Amanda Arnett would hit a two-run homerun to straight away center, putting the Cardinals up 3-1.

Ball State extended their lead in the bottom of he third inning when Arnett hit her second homerun of the game, a grand slam to put the Cardinals up 7-1. Ball State would add on one in the bottom of the fifth, going up 8-1.

The Bobcats refused to go quietly and in the top of the sixth inning the Ohio offense would finally break through. The inning began when Claytor led off with her second double of the day, she then advanced to third on a base hit by Cole. Claytor would then score on a groundout by Geno. Walker would then reach on a base hit, scoring Cole. Natalie Alvarez (Long Beach, Calif.) would pinch hit and reach on a fielder’s choice. Then with runners on second and third, Saxton would reach on an infield hit and then advance second on a throwing error, scoring Walker and Alex Day (Hilliard, Ohio), making the score 8-5.

The Bobcats returned in the top of the seventh and continued to fight. Claytor led the inning off with a base hit and Cole followed that up with a hit of her own, putting runs on first and second. Claytor and Cole would advance on a pass ball and then Claytor would score when Walker recorded a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher, making the score 8-6. However, the Bobcats would ne be able to manufacture any more runs and would fall by the final of 8-6.

Offensively the Bobcats had 10 hits with Claytor, Cole and Saxton all recording two. Hutchinson, Michaela Dorsey, Geno and Walker would all record one hit each.

In the circle, Danielle Stiene (Loveland, Ohio) pitched six innings, allowing eight runs (three earned) on six hits while striking out four.

Up next, the Bobcats return to Athens for some midweek MAC play when they host Kent State for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. at the Ohio Softball Field.

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