Final Stats

Game One PDF Boxscore | Game Two PDF Boxscore

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Ohio softball team (24-7, 5-1 MAC) returned to action on Saturday afternoon, splitting a doubleheader with Mid-American Conference West opponent Western Michigan (13-17, 1-5 MAC). The Bobcats would take game one, defeating the Broncos 6-4, and giving Ohio the series win. The Bobcats would fall in game two to WMU, 2-0, snapping the Bobcats’ 11-game winning streak.

GAME ONE: Ohio 6, Western Michigan 4
After Alex Day (Hilliard, Ohio) was hit by a pitch to extend her on base streak to 23-straight games, she would be unable to score, keeping the game scoreless entering the bottom of the first inning.

Western Michigan would strike first in the bottom of the third inning. Ivy Schaaf would reach first on a base hit. She would then advance to third when Brooke Wyman reached on fielder’s inference. Schaaf would score on a ground out by Kelsea Cichocki. Still with one out, Wyman would score on a single to left field by Marlee Wilson, with Wilson advancing to second on a fielding error by the Bobcats. Starter Savannah Jo Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) would then get the next two batters to strike out swinging, sending the game to the top of the second with Ohio trailing 2-0.

The Bobcats would work to get the offense going in the top of the second inning. Natalie Alvarez (Long Beach, Calif.) would reach first in a single up the middle. She would then be replaced on the based by Brittany Keen (Perth, Western Australia). Mikayla Cooper (Delaware, Ohio) would reach first after drawing a walk. Still with no outs, Madison Claytor (Alpharetta, Ga.) would hit into a fielder’s choice, erasing Keen at third. Alexa Holland (Rochester, Ind.) would then hit into another fielder’s choice, erasing Cooper at third. Then with two outs, Jamie Wren (Whittier, Calif.) would come the place and would crank a double over the left fielder’s head, scoring Claytor and Holland, tying the game at 2-2.

After Dorsey sent the Broncos down in the bottom of the second and third, Ohio struck again in the top of the fourth inning. With one out, Cooper crushed her fourth home run of the season to left center, giving Ohio a 3-2 lead. Ohio would attempt to add on after that when with two outs, Holland would single through the left side. She would then advance to second when Wren registered her second hit of the game, a single to center field. However, the Bobcats would not be able to get a run around and Ohio would lead 3-2 entering the bottom of the frame.

In the bottom of the fourth, WMU would tie the game on an Aspen Williams leadoff home run to right field, tying the game at 3-3. The Broncos would try to add on when Courtney Sleeman would draw a walk. However, Dorsey would get the next three batters out and send the game to the top of the fifth tied at 3-3.

The Bobcats would retake the lead at the top of the fifth inning. Deanna Cole (Akron, Ohio) would walk to lead off the inning. Day would then single up the middle, extending her hitting streak to 18 games, and moving Cole to second. Then still with no outs, Morgan Geno would crush her sixth home run of the season to left center, putting the Bobcats up 6-3. The Bobcats would try to add on after Alvarez would walk. She would then be erased at second when Cooper reached on a fielder’s choice. However, the Bobcat offense would be unable to push her around and the Bobcats would enter the bottom of the fifth with a 6-3 lead.

The Broncos would cut into the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when Wilson led the inning off with a home run, cutting the Bobcat lead to 6-4. Dorsey would then strike out the next three WMU batters and Ohio would enter the top of the seventh with the 6-4 lead.

After the Bobcats went down in order in the top of the seventh inning, the Broncos attempted a comeback in the bottom of the frame. After Dorsey struck out the lead off batter, Erin Barg singled through the left side. She then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Schaaf then drew a walk, putting runners on first and second. Both runner would advance a base on another wild pitch. Then with one out and runners on second and third, Dorsey would get the next two batters to strike out, sealing the 6-4 victory for Ohio.

At the plate, the Bobcats scored six runs on seven hits. Wren when 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI and Geno added a home run and three RBI. Cooper also added a home run and one RBI, while Day and Alvarez also added hits for the Bobcats.

In the circle, Dorsey (14-3) pitched all seven innings, allowing four runs on six hits and struck out 14 batters in the process.

At the time, this extended the Bobcats’ winning streak to 11-straight games, tying the all-time program record set by the 1974 Ohio softball squad.

GAME TWO: WMU 2, Ohio 0
The Bobcats would get a runner on in the top of the first inning, when with two outs, Cole reached on an infield single. She then stole second, however the Bobcat offense would not be able to get her around and the Bobcats would go to the bottom of the frame with the game still scoreless.

In the bottom of the first inning, the Broncos would threaten. With two outs, Cichocki would single up the middle. She would then advance to second when Wilson also singled up the middle, putting runners on first and second. However, starting pitcher Danielle Stiene (Loveland, Ohio) would get the next batter to fly out to center field, ending the inning with the game still tied at 0-0.

The Bobcats would get a runner on in the top of the second inning, with Cooper reaching base on a single. She would be erased from the bases after Wren reached on the fielder’s choice. However, the offense would be unable to get her around and the game would remain scoreless.

WMU would threaten again in the bottom of the second inning when Sleeman reached base on a leadoff single. A pinch runner would replace Sleeman on the bases and she would advance to second when Jenna Faultersack was hit by a pitch. Stiene would be able to get the next two batters out and the game would remain tied at 0-0.

After very little action in the third inning, Geno would reach base when she drew a walk. She would be replaced on the bases by MacKenzie Brunswick (Bellefontaine, Ohio). However, she would be thrown out attempting to steal second and the Bobcats would be unable to score in the inning and the game would remain tied at 0-0.

The Broncos would get a run on in the bottom of the fourth inning on a single from Faultersack, but Stiene would get the next batter to ground out to end the inning with the game still scoreless.

The Bobcats would make noise in the top of the fifth inning. With two outs, Claytor would hit a deep double off the top of the right field wall. She would then move to third when Holland reached first on and infield single. Then with runners on first and third, Day would pop up to end the inning, keeping the game tied at 0-0 entering the bottom of the fifth.

The Broncos would strike in the bottom of the fifth inning. Schaaf would walk to lead off the inning. She would the advance to second on a sacrifice bunt. Then with one out, Cichocki would walk. Schaaf would then score when Wilson reached first on a fielder’s choice, putting runners at first and second with one out. The Bobcats would get another out on a fielder’s choice, erasing Wilson from the bases. Then with two on and two outs, Sleeman would walk to load the bases. With the bases juiced, Stiene would get the last batter to pop out to the shortstop, keeping the score 1-0, WMU.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Broncos would add on. Faultersack would single to lead off the inning. She would then advance to second on a sacrifice bunt. She would then move to third on a ground out. Then with two outs, Faultersack would score on an infield single by Barg, giving WMU a 2-0 lead intering the top of the seventh.

The Bobcats would be unable to get anything going in the top of the seventh inning, and Ohio would fall by the final of 2-0, snapping their 11-game winning streak.

In the circle, Stiene (8-3) went six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and striking out four while walking three Bronco batters.

At the plate, the Bobcats had four hits, with Cole, Cooper and Holland all earning base hits, with Claytor registering a double. This game also saw Day’s hit streak and on-base streak.

UP NEXT:
The Bobcats will head to Kent, Ohio on Tuesday, April 4 for a mid-week doubleheader with MAC East foe Kent State. The doubleheader is set to begin at 1 p.m.

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