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Game One Boxscore | Game Two Boxscore

ATHENS, Ohio - Led by Madison Claytor's three-homerun day, the Ohio softball team opened its home portion of the schedule today (Feb. 17). The Bobcats defeated Big 10 opponent Rutgers 8-5 in the first game of the day. In the second game of the day against Mid-American Conference foe Northern Illinois, the Bobcats battled back to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. However the game was suspended due to darkness tied at 2-2. Play will resume at 10 a.m. tomorrow for extra innings.

"Madison had a day," head coach Jodi Hermanek said. "I'm so pumped to see her swing the bat and come up in some big situations. For the most part we're just trying to trust our offense. We're still finding our identity and we're getting closer and closer to finding it."

GAME ONE: Ohio 8, Rutgers 5
In the first game of the day for the Bobcats, Rutgers struck first in the top of the first inning when Carly Todd scored on a single up the middle by Nicole Bowman. Later in the inning, Rebecca Hall would score on a wild pitch putting the Scarlet Knights up 2-0 early on.

The Bobcats would respond in the bottom of the second inning, when with one out Casie Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio) singled to put a runner on first. The next batter, Claytor (Alpharetta, Ga.) would then crush a two-run homerun to right field, tying the game at 2-2.

Rutgers would get a run back in the top of the third inning when Taryn Atlee led the inning off with a triple. She would then score two batters later when Hall reached first on a fielder's choice, giving Rutgers a 3-2 lead.

That lead would not hold however and the Bobcats' bats would come out swinging in the bottom of the frame. Jamie Wren (Whittier, Calif.) would lead the inning off with a double to left field. She would then score when Alex Day (Hilliard, Ohio) singled to left field, tying the game at 3-3. Morgan Geno (Chillicothe, Ohio) and Natalie Alvarez (Long Beach, Calif.) would both walk to load the bases. Then with one out, Hutchinson would line a base hit to centerfield, scoring Day and giving Ohio the lead.

The Bobcats weren't done yet, with the bases still loaded, Claytor would crush her second homerun of the game to leftfield for a grand slam, and giving the Bobcats a 8-3 lead after three innings.

Rutgers would attempt to get a run back in the top of the fourth inning when the leadoff batter reached on an error. The next batter would pop into a double play, followed by a single by the next batter. However the Bobcats defense would hold strong and the Bobcats would get out of the inning with the 8-3 lead.

Ohio would attempt to add on in the bottom of the fourth inning when Wren led off with a single. With two outs, Alvarez would single, putting runners at first and second. However the Bobcats would not be able to push a run across and the score would remain 8-3.

Rutgers tried to make a run again in the top of the fifth inning with a leadoff single, however the Bobcat defense would once again hold strong and get out of the inning clean.

After a scoreless sixth inning from both teams, Rutgers attempted to mount a comeback in the top of the seventh inning. Todd led the inning off with a single and Hall followed that by taking a walk. With one out, Todd would score on an error by the Bobcat shortstop, cutting the Ohio lead to 8-4. Then with two outs, Nicolette Anico would single through the right side, scoring Bowman and cutting the Ohio lead to 8-5. However, Danielle Stiene (Loveland, Ohio) would get the final Rutgers batter to strike out, giving Ohio the 8-5 victory.

At the plate, the Bobcats scored eight runs on 10 hits. Leading Ohio was Claytor who went 2-of-3 with two home runs, two runs scored and five RBI. Next was Hutchinson who went 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Wren went 2-for-4 with a double and one run scored. Geno, Alvarez and Day all added hits for Ohio with Day registering an RBI.

In the circle, Stiene got the start, pitching seven innings and allowing five runs on nine hits and striking out 13.

"The pitchers were doing a good job of mixing the zone and that's what I've been working on the past few weeks," Claytor said. "Coming out I was just trying to produce something for the runners that are on and trying to advance them. That's just one of my main goals. Luckily I was fortunate enough to three homeruns. I was just really focusing on just seeing the ball and it worked out."

GAME TWO: Ohio 2, NIU 2 (Suspended due to darkness. Will resume at 10 a.m. tomorrow)
In the Bobcats second game of the day, Northern Illinois got on the board first in the top of the second inning. With two outs, Jessica Rio singled through the right side. Then the next batter, Abby Howlett hit a homerun to centerfield giving the Huskies a 2-0 lead.

The Bobcats got their first hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when Geno singled through the left side, but the Bobcats would not score and the game would remain 2-0.

The Bobcats would get a base runner again in the bottom of the fifth inning when Mikayla Cooper (Delaware, Ohio) walked. Deanna Cole (Akron, Ohio) would then enter the game to run for Cooper, however the Ohio bats would not get her home and NIU continued to lead 2-0.

NIU would attempt to add on in the top of the sixth, leading the inning of with a base hit, however the Huskies would not score.

In the bottom of the sixth when Taylor Saxton (Circleville, Ohio) led the inning off by reaching base on an error. Then with two outs, Geno would single through the left side, putting runners on first and second. However, the Bobcats would not be able to get a run across and the Huskies would lead 2-0 after six innings.

After sending the Huskies down in order in the top of the seventh, the Bobcats attempted to mount a late-inning comeback. With one out, Cooper walked for the second time in the game. Then with one out, Claytor came to the plate and crushed her third home run of the day, tying the game at 2-2. MacKenzie Brunswick (Bellefontaine, Ohio) would lace a double to left center, however she would not score and then game would remain tied at 2-2. However, due to darkness, the game was suspended and will resume at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

Through the first seven innings, Ohio scored two runs on four hits. Geno went 2-of-3, Claytor went 1-3 with a homerun, two RBI and a run scored and Brunswick went 1-for-3 with a double.

In the circle, Savannah Jo Dorsey got the start, pitching seven innings and allowing two runs on four hits and striking out 13.

UP NEXT
Ohio will return to action Saturday, Feb. 18 when Ohio wraps up the first game against NIU at 10 a.m. Ohio will then take on NIU at 12:30 p.m. and will finish the day with Rutgers at 3 p.m. at the Ohio Softball Field.

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