April 29, 2016
Final Stats
Game One PDF Boxscore | Game Two PDF Boxscore
ATHENS, Ohio - Thanks to a clutch double in the bottom of the sixth inning in game two by Casie Hutchinson, the Ohio softball team split a doubleheader with Buffalo on Friday (April 29), falling to the Bulls, 5-3, in 10 innings in game one and defeating Buffalo, 3-2, in the second game. Between games, the Bobcats honored its three senior players, Sloan Walker, Amanda Dalton (Salem, Va.), Samantha Bowlsbey (Farmingdale, N.J.) and manager Matt Birt (Buffalo, N.Y.) for their hard work on and off the field during their time as Bobcats.
GAME ONE
Ohio took the lead first in the bottom of the first inning when with one out Deanna Cole (Akron, Ohio) singled and stole second. She then scored on an RBI single by Jamie Wren (Whittier, Calif.). Danielle Stiene (Loveland, Ohio) would then advance to third on a passed ball when Madison Claytor (Alpharetta, Ga.) walked. Then with two outs, Casie Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio) would smash a single to rightfield, scoring Stiene and giving Ohio a 2-0 lead.
Buffalo would respond in the top of the second inning when the Bulls would load the bases with three singles and then with one out, Savanna Norcio would double, clearing the bases and putting Buffalo on top 3-2.
The Bobcats would try to respond in the bottom of the second inning when with two outs, the Bobcats would have runners on second and third, however Savannah Jo Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) would be thrown out at the plate on a fielder's choice to end the inning and keep the score at 3-2.
The Bobcats would tie the game up in the bottom of the fourth inning when Michaela Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio), who was running for Savannah Jo Dorsey, would score on a base hit up the middle by pinch hitter Natalie Alvarez (Long Beach, Calif.), tying the game at 3-3.
Buffalo would threaten in the top of the sixth inning when lead off hitter Leandra Jew would lead the inning off with a double. She would then advance to third on a wild pitch and then would get thrown out at home from rightfielder Sloan Walker (Cypress, Texas), keeping the game tied at 3-3.
After the fourth inning, neither team would score and the game would head into extra innings.
The Bobcats would threaten in the bottom of the ninth inning when Mikayla Cooper (Delaware, Ohio) doubled to lead off the inning. She would advance to second when pinch hitter Morgan Geno (Chillicothe, Ohio) walked. They would advance when Taylor Saxton (Circleville, Ohio) grounded out, however the Bobcats could not push a run across and the game would remain tied.
Buffalo would beat the tie in the top of the 10th inning when Katie Weimer and Catrell Robertso would hit back-to-back solo homeruns, taking a 5-3 lead.
The Bobcats would try and mount a rally in the bottom of the 10th when Stiene hit a double to centerfield and then Claytor walked to put runners on first and second, however Ohio would not be able to get a run across and the Bobcats would fall in game one, 5-3.
In the circle, Stiene got the start, pitching five innings, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out seven. Savannah Jo Dorsey would enter the game in the sixth inning and pitch five innings, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out five.
At the plate, Ohio had nine hits, led by Stiene who went 2-for-4 with a double. Cooper had one hit, a double. Hutchinson, Alvarez and Wren all had one hit that resulted in an RBI. Rounding out the Bobcat hits was Saxton, Cole and MacKinzie Brunswick (Bellefontaine, Ohio) who all had one.
GAME TWO
Buffalo would get on the board first in the top of the second inning when Ashton Earnhardt would score when Kenzie Koch got caught in a rundown, putting Buffalo up 1-0.
Ohio would threaten in the bottom of the second, loading the bases on base hits by Geno and Hutchinson and a walk by Cooper, but the Bobcats would not score and the game would remain 1-0.
Ohio would have another chance in the bottom of the fourth, when Cooper walked and then advanced to second on a rocket up the middle by Hutchinson. Cooper would advance to third on a fielder's choice, however Ohio would not score and Buffalo would lead 1-0 after four innings.
Buffalo took a 2-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning when Jew would score on a double by Weimer.
However, Ohio would thunder back in the bottom of the frame. Wren would lead the inning off with a base hit and then advance to second when Geno reached on an error. Alex Day (Hilliard, Ohio) would enter the game to pinch run for Geno, and with one out, Hutchinson would crush a double to the centerfield wall, scoring Wren and Day and tying the game. Ohio would take the lead later in the inning when Saxton would walk with the bases loaded, scoring Hutchinson and put the Bobcats up 3-2.
Buffalo would get the leadoff batter on in the top of the seventh inning, however Stiene would get the next two batters to strikeout and get the final batter to ground out to third, giving Ohio the 3-2 win.
In the circle, Stiene got the start, pitching seven innings, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out five.
At the plate, the Bobcats had six hits, led by Hutchinson who went 3-for-3 with two RBI and a double. Walker, Wren and Geno all has base hits for Ohio.
Ohio will wrap up the three game series against Buffalo tomorrow (April 30) at noon at the Ohio Softball Field.
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