Final Stats

Game One PDF Boxscore | Game Two PDF Boxscore

TOLEDO, Ohio â€" Thanks to timely hits from the Bobcat offense and a stellar performance in the circle by Danielle Stiene, the Ohio softball team swept a doubleheader from Toledo on Friday (April 8). The Bobcats defeated the Rockets 4-2 in the first day and came back and shutting out Toledo by the final of 8-0, earning the series win.

“I was really excited for them to come out in another conference series and put our training into practice,” head coach Jodi Hermanek said. “I really think they did a great job of attacking the zone and getting timely hits. The one thing that I told them to focus on from the first game to the second game is that when we get the lead off walk or get the lead off batter on we need her to score. I felt like too many times in the first game we didn’t get timely hits to get a lead off runner scored. I think in the second game we did a lot better at that. I was expecting a lot of left on base with the amount of offense that we were generating in the two games, but in the second game we did a good job of be a tough two out hitting team.”

GAME ONE
The Bobcats didn’t waste any time getting on the board. Deanna Cole (Akron, Ohio) roped a double into centerfield. Cole would then steal third and then score on a throwing error by the catcher, putting Ohio up 1-0.

Toledo responded immediately when the leadoff batter, Jessica Lemieux hit the first pitch over the right center wall, tying the game at 1-1. The Rockets would take the lead in the bottom of the second inning when leadoff batter Celeste Fidge would hit a homerun to centerfield, giving Toledo a 2-1 lead.

The Bobcats responded in the top of the third inning when Michaela Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) led off the inning with her first hit of the day. Taylor Saxton (Circleville, Ohio) would then reach base on a fielder’s choice and then score on a base hit by Morgan Geno (Chillicothe, Ohio), tying the game at 2-2.

The Bobcats would threaten in the top of the fifth inning, loading the bases, however Ohio would not capitalize at that time, leaving the game tied at 2-2.

They would take advantage of timely hits in the top of the sixth inning. Jamie Wren (Whittier, Calif.), in her first career at bat would walk and then steal second. Then, with two outs, Michaela Dorsey would rocket a double to the centerfield wall, scoring Wren from second. Saxton would then reach first on a single. The next batter, Cole, would then record her second hit of the day, scoring Michaela Dorsey from third, putting Ohio up 4-2.

The Rockets would leave two runners on in the bottom of the sixth inning and Ohio would leave the bases loaded again in the top of the seventh. Toledo would attempt a rally in the bottom of the seventh inning when the leadoff batter, Ashley Rousch would reach on a single and then advance to second on a wild pitch. Danni Ryan would then walk and Rousch would reach third on a foul out. With two outs and runners on first and third, starting pitcher Savannah Jo Dorsey would get Sammy Emery to strikeout swinging to end the game and give Ohio the 4-2 victory.

At the plate, Ohio had nine hits led by Michaela Dorsey who went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Saxton went 2-for-5 with a run scored, Cole went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored and Geno was 2-for3 with and RBI and a walk.

In the circle, Savannah Jo Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) picked up her 17^th in of the season, pitching seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out seven.

GAME TWO
In the second game of the doubleheader, Saxton would lead the game off with an infield hit, then advance to second on a base hit by Cole. Saxton would advance to third on a ground ball double play by Geno. The next batter, Madison Claytor (Alpharetta, Ga.) would walk to put runners on first and third, allowing Mikayla Cooper (Delaware, Ohio) to bomb a three-run homerun, her ninth of the season, to put Ohio up 3-0 after one inning.

Ohio would add on in the top of the fourth inning with Casie Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio) leading off with an infield hit. Wren would the walk and MacKenzie Brunswick (Bellefontain, Ohio) would hit a ball through the middle, loading the bases. With the bases juiced, Michalea Dorsey would fly out to right field, allowing Hutchinson to score from first, increasing the Ohio lead to 4-0.

The Bobcats would not stop there, adding on in the top of the fifth inning. With on out, Claytor and Cooper would both walk, putting runners on first and second. Then, with a full count, Hutchinson would crush a double to centerfield, scoring Claytor from second. Then with runners on first and second, Wren would ground out to second, allowing Cooper to score from third, extending Ohio’s lead to 6-0.

The Bobcats weren’t done scoring and in the top of the seventh inning. Cooper reached first on a single and then advance to second when Hutchinson walked. Both runners advanced on a ground out. Cooper would then score on a base hit by Sloan Walker (Cypress,Texas) and Hutchinson would score on a single by Michaela Dorsey, putting Ohio up 8-0.

After allowing a leadoff base hit in the bottom of the fourth, Stiene (Loveland, Ohio) would retire 12-straight batters, propelling Ohio to an 8-0 victory.

Overall in the circle, Stiene went seven innings, allowing no runs on two hits and striking out seven on 90 pitches.

“Dani [Stiene] looked fresh,” Hermanek said. “She looked good. She looked in command. I thought she threw awesome one through seven. She did have one let up inning and didn’t have on take off pitch. I thought she was very effective with her chance of zone and change of speed and just attacking batters early.”

At the plate, Ohio had 14 hits, led by Cooper who went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and three RBI. Michaela Dorsey went 2-for-3 with two RBI and Hutchinson was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Saxton and Geno both had two hits and Cole, Claytor, Brunswick and Walker all had one hit.

Due to impending weather, tomorrow’s game against the Rockets has been postponed and will be played on Sunday. Stay tuned to OhioBobcats.com and on Twitter at @OhioBobcatSB for more information regarding game time.

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