Game One PDF Boxscore | Game Two PDF Boxscore 

AKRON, Ohio â€" Despite stellar pitching and defense, the Ohio Softball team (39-16) would fall in the 2017 Mid-American Conference Tournament championship series Saturday afternoon at Firestone Stadium. The Bobcats would fall to Kent State (32-26) in the first game of the series, 1-0 in eight inning. Ohio would come back later in the day and would fall to the Golden Flashes, 3-0. At the end, Ohio pitcher Savannah Jo Dorsey would be named to the All-Tournament Team.

GAME ONE: Kent State 1, Ohio 0 (Eight Innings)
In the top of the first inning, Kent State would get a runner on when after a strike out and a great defensive play in left field by Alexa Holland (Rochester, Ind.), Maddy Grimm would reach first on a fielding error. However, starter Savannah Jo Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) would get the next batter to strike out swinging to end the inning.

The Bobcats threatened in the bottom of the inning when with one out, Holland would reach first on a single. She would then move to second when Morgan Geno (Chillicothe, Ohio) singled to right field, putting runners on first and second. Holland would move to third when Alex Day (Hilliard, Ohio) reached first on a fielder’s choice, erasing Geno from the bases. With runner on the corners and two outs, Kent State starter Madi Huck would get the next Bobcat batter to pop out, getting out of the jam.

Kent State would get another runner on in the top of the second inning when Ronnie Ladines would lead off by drawing a walk. She would then move to second when Bailey Brownfield laid down a sacrifice bunt. Dorsey would then get the next batter to pop up and then end the inning with a strikeout, stranding Ladines at second.

Kent State would threaten in the top of the third, when Vanessa Scoarste would reach on a single to shallow center field. She would then move to second when Emily Dobbin laid down a sacrifice bunt. Dorsey would then get Hunter Brancifort to pop fly out. With Grimm at the plate, Scoarste would move to third on a passed ball. Dorsey would then come back from a 2-0 count to get Grimm to strike out swinging to end the inning with Scoarste still at third, sending the game to the bottom of the frame still scoreless.

After Dorsey sent Kent State down in order in the top of the fourth, Ohio would threaten in the bottom of the frame. With two outs, Natalie Alvarez (Long Beach, Calif.) would single. She would then advance to third when Jamie Wren (Whittier, Calif.) would take the first pitch of her at bat and crush a double to left center, putting runners on second and third. However, the Kent State defense would get the next batter to fly out to right field, getting out of the jam with the game still scoreless going into the fifth.

Kent State would get a runner on in the top of the fifth inning when Jen Cader would lead off with a single up the middle. However, Dorsey would retire the next three batters to end the inning and send it to the bottom of the inning still scoreless.

The Bobcats would get a runner on in the bottom of the fifth inning when with one out, Taylor Saxton (Circleville, Ohio) would beat out an infield single. With Mikayla Cooper (Delaware, Ohio) at the plate, Saxton would get caught trying to steal second. Cooper would then draw a walk putting her on first base. Danielle Stiene (Loveland, Ohio) would enter the game to pinch hit and would crush a ball to left field that the leftfielder would make a great play on, ending the inning with the game still scoreless.

Kent State would get another base runner on, when with one out, Grimm would draw a walk. However, Dorsey would get Holly Speers and Ladines to both fly out, sending the game to the bottom of the sixth still tied at 0-0.

Ohio would try to strike in the bottom of the sixth inning. With two outs, Alvarez would draw a walk, brining Wren to the plate. Wren would the drive the ball to center field, which the KSU centerfielder would manage to track down, ending the inning scoreless entering the seventh.

In the top of the seventh, KSU would get a runner on, when Brownfield led the inning off with a single through the right side. However, Dorsey would retire the next three Kent State batters, sending the game to the bottom of the seventh still tied at 0-0.

Ohio would try and end the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, however, Huck would send the Bobcats down in order, sending the game to extra innings tied at 0-0.

Kent State would strike in the top of the eighth inning. With two outs, Grimm would single. Still with two outs, Speers would come to the plate and lace a double to left center, scoring Grimm and putting the Flashes up 1-0.

Ohio would try and rally in the bottom of the eighth, but would be unable to do so, giving KSU the 1-0 victory and forcing one more game.

In the circle, Dorsey pitched eight innings, allowing one run on five hits, striking out seven and walking two.

At the plate, Ohio recorded five hits. Wren went 1-for-3 with a double while Holland, Saxton, Geno and Alvarez all registered base hits.

GAME TWO: Kent State 3, Ohio 0
Ohio would try to strike first in the top of the first inning when Cooper led the inning off with a double to left center. However, starter Ladines would get the next three Bobcat batters out, ending the inning with the game scoreless.

Kent State would draw blood first in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, Brancifort would hit a solo home run to left field. Then with two outs, Speers would draw a walk. Then with a 3-2 count, Ladines would hit a homerun to left center, giving the Flashes a 3-0 lead. KSU would try to add on when Brownfield singled up the middle, then Cader would single just out of reach of a diving Holland. However, the defense would catch Brownfield too far off of second and would tag her out, ending the inning the Ohio trailing 3-0.

Ohio would get a runner on in the top of the third, when with two outs, Cooper would record her second hit of the game, putting her on first. However, the Bobcats would be unable to score and they would go to the bottom of the frame trailing 3-0.

Kent State would threaten to add on in the bottom of the third inning. When with one out, Grimm would double to left center. She would then move to third when Speers singled. After Ladines drew a walk to load the bases, Dorsey would get Brownfield to hit into a force play, getting Grimm out at home. Then with two outs and the bases still loaded, Dorsey would get Cader to hit into a ground out, getting out of the jam still training 3-0.

In the top of the fourth inning, Ohio would try to get on the board, when with no outs, Geno would drive a pitch to left field that looked to be a home run. However, the Kent State left fielder would time her jump just right and rob Geno at the wall.

Ohio would try and strike in the top of the fifth when with one out, Madison Claytor (Alpharetta, Ga.) would single the center field. However, the Bobcats would be unable to score and would go to the bottom of the frame trailing 3-0.

After Dorsey sent Kent State down in order in the bottom of the fifth inning, Ohio would get a runner on in the top of the sixth. With one out, Michaela Dorsey (Grove City, Ohio) would draw a walk. She would however be erased from the bases when Geno hit into a fielder’s choice. Alexis Milesky (Plain City, Ohio) would then enter to from for Geno, and with two outs, the Ohio offense would be unable to get her around, sending the game to the bottom of the frame still trailing 3-0.

After Dorsey sent the Flashes down in order in the bottom of the sixth, Ohio would come to the plate in the top of the seventh looking to rally. Unfortunately, the Bobcats would be unable to do so and would fall by the final of 3-0.

In the circle, Dorsey pitched six innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out two.

At the plate, Ohio had three hits, with Cooper going 2-for-3 with a double while Claytor added a base hit for the Bobcats.

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