Final Stats

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BOWLING GREEN, K.y. – The Ohio softball team (13-3) continued its five day spring break trip, falling to Western Kentucky (13-9), 6-2, on Thursday night.

The Ohio offense picked up right where it left off Wednesday night in the top of the first inning. Alex Day (Hilliard, Ohio) led the game off with a double to left center. She then advanced to third when Jamie Wren (Whittier, Calif.) reached on an error and then later stole second. However, with runners on second and third, the Bobcats would not be able to get a run around, but they would continue to push as the game went on.

In the bottom of the frame, WKU would get a runner on after starter Danielle Stiene (Loveland, Ohio) struck out the lead off batter. The runner would be stranded at first as the Ohio defense would do its work, keeping the game tied at 0-0.

After Ohio stranded a runner in the top of the second, the Ohio defense would go back to work and would send WKU down in order.

Ohio would strike in the top of the third, when with one out, Morgan Geno (Chillicothe, Ohio) would crank a home run to left center, giving Ohio the lead. Natalie Alvarez (Long Beach, Calif.) would then walk. Then with Alvarez on second, Mikayla Cooper (Delaware, Ohio) would continue her hot streak and smash a double to center field, giving Ohio a 2-0 lead.

Western Kentucky would threaten in the bottom of the frame. The lead off batter would walk and then advance to third after a base hit and a double steal. Then with one out, the WKU batter would reach on a fielder’s choice as the Ohio defense would get the lead runner out at home. Then Stiene would get the final batter of the frame to ground out, keeping the score 2-0.

WKU would threaten again in the bottom of the fourth inning when the leadoff batter reached on an error, however the Ohio defense would hold strong the rest of the inning and the Bobcats would stay on top with the 2-0 lead.

Ohio would get runners on again in the top of the fifth inning thanks to a two-out single by Casie Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio), however the Bobcats would not be able to get her around.

After a one-two-three inning from WKU in the bottom of the fifth, Ohio made noise again in the top of the sixth when Deanna Cole (Akron, Ohio) walked. After Cole was caught stealing, Taylor Saxton (Circleville, Ohio) would register her second hit of the game, but she would not score and the Bobcats would hold a 2-0 lead entering the bottom of the inning.

WKU finally got on board in the bottom of the sixth inning. After scoring two runs to tie the game, Adarian Gray would hit a grand slam to give WKU the 6-2 lead. Ohio would be unable to rally in the top of the seventh and the Bobcats would fall, 6-2.

At the plate, Ohio scored two runs on seven hits. Day would go 2-for-4 with a double and Saxton would go 2-for-3. Geno would add a hit, a home run and an RBI. Cooper would add a double and an RBI and Hutchinson would also register a hit for Ohio.

In the circle, Stiene (4-1) would pitch 5.1 innings and allow four runs on four hits and would strike out five. Geno would allow two runs on two hits and Desirae Villanueva (Surrey, British Columbia) would pitch 0.2 innings and would not allow a run or a hit.

Up next, Ohio heads to Louisville, K.y. to take part in the Louisville Tournament set to take place March 10-12. The Bobcats will being competition on Friday, March 10 when they take on Northern Iowa at 10 a.m., followed by Louisville at 12:30 p.m.

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