Final Stats

Game One Boxscore | Game Two Boxscore 

 COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The Ohio softball team (3-1) continued play at the Carolina Classic on Saturday (Feb. 11), sweeping the day's competition by defeating Charlotte by the final of 6-3 and then would down Presbyterian in the final game of the day, 3-0.

"I'm really proud of the performances from Savannah and Dani in the circle," head coach Jodi Hermanek said. "It was great to watch them both work with their catcher and be dominate in two complete games. Two wins on the day was our goal and achieving that is a mark of the work ethic that this team has. Four games in, I'm very pleased with how the Bobcats are coming out on both sides of the ball." 

GAME ONE: Ohio 6, Charlotte 3
In Ohio's first game on the day, the Bobcats made an offensive comeback to defeat the 49ers.

Charlotte started the game on the attack and in the top of the first inning, the 49ers' Haley Pace tripled to right center giving Charlotte an early 2-0 lead. Becca Shipper and Emma Ocker would both score.

Quickly after Pace earned two RBI, teammate Grace Beatty would drop a bunt to give Pace a run home and Charlotte would lead 3-0. Savannah Jo Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) would strikeout two in the top of the first inning.

In the bottom of the first inning, Charlotte's Lauren Riley would strike out three Ohio hitters quickly to give the 49ers a 3-0 lead going into the second inning.

In the top of the second inning, Dorsey would strikeout three right away to give Ohio a chance to score. Both Morgan Geno (Chillicothe, Ohio) and Casie Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio) would be hit by pitches and would earn a walk to give Ohio two on base. Deanna Cole (Akron, Ohio) would come in to run for Geno while Brittany Keen (Perth, Western Australia) would do the same for Hutchinson.

Natalie Alvarez (Long Beach, Calif.) grounded out to shortstop to advance Keen to second and Cole to third. Madison Claytor (Alpharetta, Ga.) would make a big play for the Bobcats, hitting a sacrifice fly to allow Cole to run home and give Ohio its first score of the game. Claytor's hit would make it 3-1 Charlotte with a runner on second and two outs.

MacKenzie Brunswick (Bellefontaine, Ohio) would hit next and reached on a throwing error by the short stop to advance to second, allowing Keen to score and on an unearned run to make it a 3-2 game going into the third inning.

Dorsey would find herself striking out three in a row once again at the top of the third, giving Ohio the chance to tie-up the game.

Jamie Wren (Whittier, Calif.) would lead off the inning with a triple to deep left field to find herself on base. Mikayla Cooper (Delaware, Ohio) then reached on a throwing error by third base and advanced to second allowing Wren to score an unearned run, making it a tie game at 3-3. It wasn't long before Ohio would take the lead on another throwing error by the short stop while Geno was at bat, allowing Cooper to score an unearned run and giving Ohio a 4-3 lead.

Next, Hutchinson grounded out to third base, allowing Geno to advance to second. Alvarez made a big play next when she homered to left field allowing herself and Geno to score and giving Ohio a 6-3 lead at the bottom of the third.

The last three innings would go scoreless, ending the game at the top of the seventh. Ohio would secure a 6-3 victory in the first game of day two.

Offensively, Ohio scored six runs on two hits and did not commit an error. Leading the way at the plate was Alvarez who registered one run, one hit, one homerun and two RBI on the day. Wren recorded one run and one hit while Cooper, Geno, Cole and Keen each added one to Ohio's run total.

In the circle, Dorsey (2-1) pitched all seven innings, allowing three runs and five hits and striking out nine.

GAME TWO: Ohio 3, Presbyterian 0
In the Bobcats second game of the day, it took until the third inning for the Bobcats to get the offense going. After a scoreless first two innings, the Ohio bats came alive in the third inning when with one out, Brunswick walked. She then advanced to second on a ground out by Taylor Saxton (Circleville, Ohio). Wren then roped a single to right field and then advanced to second on the throw, allowing Brunswick to score. Wren would then score on a single up the middle by Alex Day (Hilliard, Ohio), giving Ohio the 2-0 lead.

Presbyterian would get on base in the bottom of the frame, when after starting pitcher Danielle Stiene (Loveland, Ohio) struck out the first two batters, a Presbyterian batter reached on a single, however the next batter would ground out to third, keeping the score 2-0.

Ohio would add on in the top of the fourth inning, when with one out, Hutchinson walked. Cole would then enter the game to pinch run for Hutchinson. She would then advance to second on a single by Claytor to center field. Alexis Milesky (Plain City, Ohio) would then enter the game to pinch run for Claytor. Alexa Holland (Rochester, Ind.) would then reach on a fielder's choice that got Cole out at third. Then with runners on first and second, Brunswick crushed a single to left center, scoring Milesky and giving Ohio a 3-0 lead.

In the bottom of the frame, Stiene would get three batters to strike out while only allowing one base runner. In the top of the fifth inning, Ohio would threaten again when with one out Day singled up the middle and then stole second. However Alvarez would hit into a double play with Ohio still leading 3-0.

After a clean bottom of the fifth by the Bobcats, Ohio went back to work in the top of the sixth. Hutchinson would walk to lead off the inning. She would advance to second on a base hit by Holland. Brunswick would then reach base on a fielder's choice, eliminating Hutchinson from the base path. Then with runners on first and second, the Bobcats would be unable to extend their lead.

Presbyterian would threaten in the bottom of the sixth inning when with two outs Hope Rogers would triple to left center. However, Stiene would get the next batter to strike out swinging and the Bobcats would get out of the inning unharmed.

The Bobcats would put runners on the bases once again in the top of the seventh inning. Wren singled to lead off the inning, however, the next batter, Day, would fly out into a double play. Cooper would then walk, which would be followed by another walk from Alvarez. However, Geno would fly out in the final out of the inning and Ohio would hold on to its 3-0 lead entering the bottom of the seventh.

Presbyterian refused to go away quietly and in the bottom of the seventh inning the leadoff batter walked. The next batter would then hit into a fielder's choice, eliminiating the lead runner. Stiene would then get the last two batters to foul out and ground out to third, securing the 3-0 win for the Bobcats.

At the plate, Ohio scored three runs on seven hits and stole one base. Wren who went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI led Ohio and Day was also 2-for-4 with an RBI. Claytor and Holland both added hits for the Bobcats, while Brunswick went 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI.

In the circle, Stiene (1-0) got the start, pitching seven scoreless innings while only allowing three hits, two walks. Stiene also struck out 13 batters.

UP NEXT
The Bobcats return to action at the Carolina Classic on Sunday, Feb. 12 when Ohio takes on Longwood at 10:00 a.m.

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