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AKRON, Ohio – Led by a dominating performance from Savannah Jo Dorsey in the circle, the second seeded Ohio Softball team (38-14) defeated No. 3 Northern Illinois (31-20), 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the 2017 Mid-American Conference Tournament Thursday (May 11) at Firestone Stadium. The Bobcats will take on No. 4 Kent State in the semifinals on Friday (May 12) at 3:30 p.m.

“It’s right where we want to be,” head coach Jodi Hermanek said. “We got an amazing performance from Sav with 14 strikeouts today and she just went at a very talented offense that Northern Illinois has. I’m proud at the drive, aggression and fight that we have right now.”

After starter Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) sent NIU down in order in the top of the first, Ohio struck in the bottom of the frame. Mikayla Cooper (Delaware, Ohio) led the inning off with a single up the middle. She would then move to second when Alexa Holland (Rochester, Ind.) placed a sacrifice bunt. With one out, Morgan Geno (Chillicothe, Ohio) reached first on a fielder’s choice. On the play, the NIU second baseman would overthrow first base and the ball would go out of play, allowing Cooper to score and putting Geno on second. Geno would move to third on a wild pitch. However, the Huskie defense would get out of the jam with Ohio leading 1-0.

After Dorsey struck out the side in the top of the third, Ohio would threaten to add on in the bottom of the frame. Taylor Saxton (Circleville, Ohio) would reach first when she beat out an infield single to the shortstop. She would then steal second. However, she would then be erased from the bases when Cooper reached on a fielder’s choice. Cooper would advance to second on a sacrifice bunt from Holland. Then with two outs, Geno would come to the plate and drive a ball to deep left field, which the NIU leftfielder would track down as she ran into the wall, ending the Ohio threat with the Bobcats still leading 1-0.

NIU would get their first base runners on the top of the fourth inning when with one out, Bekah Harnish would walk. Then with two outs, Kali Kossakowski would reach first on a single to shallow center field, putting runners on first and third with two outs. Then with Alaynie Woollard at the plate, Madison Claytor (Alpharetta, Ga.) would throw Kossakowski out as she tried to steal second, ending the inning with the Bobcats still leading 1-0.

NIU would get another runner on in the top of the fifth inning when with two outs, Dorsey would walk Abby Howlett, putting her on first. However, Dorsey would get Dominique Greeno to strikeout swinging, sending the game to the bottom of the fifth with Ohio leading 1-0.

The Huskies would try and mount a rally in the top of the seventh, but would be unable to do so, striking out the final batter that she faced to give the Bobcats the 1-0 win.

In the circle, Dorsey was dazzling, pitching seven innings and did not allow a run on one hit and struck out 14 while only walking two.

At the plate, Ohio scored one run on two hits, with Cooper and Saxton both recording base hits for the Bobcats.

Up next, Ohio will take on fourth-seeded Kent State in the MAC Tournament semifinals on Friday, May 12. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m. at Firestone Stadium.

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