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AKRON, Ohio – With a runner on third and no outs in the bottom of the seventh, Madison Claytor would crank the walk-off two-run home run to give the second-seeded Ohio softball team (37-14) the 2-0 victory against No. 7 Akron (26-29) in the opening round of the 2017 Mid-American Conference Tournament Wednesday afternoon (May 10) at Firestone Stadium. Ohio will take on the winner of Miami and Northern Illinois on Thursday, May 11 at 3:30 p.m.

“I knew that I just needed to somehow move Jamie around and get the ball through the infield,” Claytor said. “Thankfully I was able to produce for the team and it was even better that it went over.”

Akron would try and get a run on the board in the top of the first inning. Ashley Sims would lead off with a bunt single, however, would be out when the Bobcat defense got her caught in a run down after Taylor Kirian reached on a single and then moved to second on the throw. Then with one out, starter Savannah Jo Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) would get the next batter to foul out and then end the inning with a Zips popup, sending the game to the bottom of the inning with the game still scoreless.

After Dorsey sent the Zips down in order in the top of the second inning, the Bobcats threatened in the bottom of the frame. Alex Day (Hilliard, Ohio) would lead off with a single through the right side. She would then move to second on a sacrifice bunt from Natalie Alvarez (Long Beach, Calif.). Day would then advance on a ground out to first from Jamie Wren (Whittier, Calif.), putting a runner on third with two outs. However, Akron starter Lexie Handley would get the last Bobcat batter to fly out to left field, ending the inning with the game still tied at 0-0.

The Zips would get a runner on in the top of the third inning when with two outs, Sims reached first on a hard liner off of Dorsey. Sims would then steal second, putting a runner in scoring position. However, Dorsey would get Kirian to strike out swinging to send the game to the bottom of the frame still scoreless.

Akron would get another runner in scoring position in the top of the fourth inning when with two outs, Anna Tarpley doubled to left center. However, Dorsey would get the next batter to ground out, ending the inning without any damage.

After the Zips would go down in order in the top of the fifth, Ohio would get a runner on in the bottom of the frame. With two outs, Claytor (Alpharetta, Ga.) would smoke a single to left center. However, the Akron defense would get the next Bobcat batter to ground out, sending the game to the sixth still scoreless.

After Dorsey sent the Zips down in order in the top of the frame, the Bobcats’ best chance came in the bottom of the sixth inning. Taylor Saxton (Circleville, Ohio) led the inning off with an infield single. She would then advance to third when Mikayla Cooper (Delaware, Ohio) singled. Alexa Holland (Rochester, Ind.) would the fly out to shallow left field. Then with one out, Cooper would steal second and then Morgan Geno (Chillicothe, Ohio) would draw a walk to load the bases. Day would then ground into a force play that would get Saxton out at home. Now with two outs and the bases loaded, Alvarez would work the count full but would fly out to shallow right center, ending the inning with the game still tied at 0-0.

After Dorsey sent Akron down in order in the top of the seventh, the Bobcats came to the plate ready to end the game. Wren would lead the inning off with a hard shot to the center field wall. Wren would then advance to third when the Akron outfielder bobbled the ball as she was rounding second.

With Wren on third, Claytor would come to the plate and would pop up in foul territory, with the Akron catcher dropping what would be the first out of the inning. With her second chance at the plate, Claytor would take a two-strike count and demolish the ball over the leftfield wall, her ninth of the season, sending Ohio flying out of the dugout with the 2-0 walk-off victory.

At the plate, Dorsey (21-6) pitched seven innings, allowing no runs on four hits while striking out seven and not walking a batter.

At the plate, Ohio scored two runs on six hits. Claytor went 2-for-3 with a single, home run and two RBI. Wren would register a double and Saxton, Day and Cooper would all register base hits for Ohio.

Up next for Ohio, the Bobcats will take on either No. 3 Northern Illinois or No. 6 Miami in the second round of the MAC Tournament on Thursday, May 11 at 3:30 p.m. at Firestone Stadium.

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