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Game One Box Score (PDF) | Game Two Box Score (PDF)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Ohio softball team (0-2) opened the 2021 season Monday afternoon (February 22), coming up on the short end of both games of a doubleheader against No. 23 Tennessee (7-1) inside Sherri Lee Parker Stadium. The Bobcats dropped the first game 7-1, and the second game, 11-2 in five innings.

GAME ONE: No. 23 Tennessee 7, Ohio 1
Tennessee outhit Ohio 6-2, while both teams drew four walks. The Bobcats left five runners on base compared to UT, which only stranded three. 

Senior outfielder Allie Englant (Long Beach, Calif.) recorded a single while senior shortstop Katie Yun (North Canton, Ohio) tallied a home run. 

Ohio registered the first hit of the game with a leadoff single by Englant. However, Tennessee got the first six runs on the board. The first two came in the bottom of the second inning on solo home runs by sophomore center fielder Kiki Milloy and graduate student left fielder Calin Hannon to put UT up, 2-0. The Lady Vols  added on four more in the top of the third inning on a two-run shot by senior right fielder Amanda Ayala. Then, with two outs, senior short stop Ivy Davis hit a two-RBI double to center, putting Tennessee up 6-0 after three innings. 

Ohio got on the board in the top of the fourth inning on a lead-off solo home run from Yun, cutting the Tennessee lead to 6-1. 

The Bobcats threatened in the top of the fifth inning, loading the bases. However, Ohio was unable to capitalize. 

Tennessee was able to get the run back in the bottom of the fifth inning on their third solo home run of the day, this one by redshirt senior third baseman Chelsea Seggern, bringing the UT lead to 7-1 after five innings of play. 

For Tennessee, freshman pitcher Bailey McCachren and redshirt junior pitcher Samantha Bender combined for six innings of two-hit softball. McCachren pitched four innings and struck out four while allowing one run on two hits and two walks. Bender pitched three innings and did not allow a run or a hit and struck out three while walking two batters. 

Senior pitcher Madi McCrady (Brimfield, Ohio) took the loss for the Bobcats, allowing seven runs in four innings of work. Sophomore pitcher Holly Brehm (Mullens, W. Va.) pitched two innings and did not allow a run or a hit. 

GAME TWO No. 23 Tennessee 11, Ohio 2 (5 Innings)

Tennessee outhit the Bobcats, 14-5 in the second game. The Bobcats recorded two doubles and did not commit an error. 

Junior outfielder Caitlin Fogue (Columbia, Mo.) led Ohio with two hits, tallying a single and a double, and recording an RBI. Englant added a single and a run scored, while sophomore right fielder Molly Troutman (Gahanna, Ohio) recorded a double and an RBI, while freshman third baseman Annalia Paoli (Point Marion, Pa.) singled and scored a run. 

Game two started just as game one did, with a leadoff single up the middle by Englant. However, this time the Bobcats took advantage of the early hit. With one out, Englant stole second and graduate student second baseman Mikenzie Vaughn (Kennesaw, Ga.) drew a walk, bringing Troutman to the plate, who crushed an RBI double to right, scoring Englant and giving Ohio the early 1-0 lead. 

Tennessee struck in the bottom of the second inning, scoring three runs on five hits to take a 3-1 lead going into the third inning. Tennessee added another run in the top of the third inning off an RBI double from Davis, putting UT up 4-1. 

Ohio cut into that lead in the top of the fourth inning. With one out, Paoli recorded her first career hit with a single to the pitcher. With two outs, Fogue recorded her second hit of the game, this time an RBI double to center, scoring Paoli and cutting the Tennessee lead to 4-2. 

However, Tennessee jumped out to an 11-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring seven runs on six hits. The frame was capped off by a three-run home run to center by Milloy. Tennessee added one more run in the bottom of the fifth inning to end the game with the 12-2 win.  

For Tennessee, sophomore pitcher Callie Turner pitched five innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out three and walking two. 

Starting pitcher junior Mackensie Kohl (Corona Del Mar, Calif.) suffered the loss for the Bobcats, pitching 3.1 innings and allowing nine runs on 11 hits and two walks. She struck out one. Brehm entered the game in the bottom of the fourth inning and pitched 0.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits, while walking one batter. 

UP NEXT
The Bobcats head to Greenville, N.C., for a three-game series against East Carolina. Ohio will face off with ECU in a doubleheader on Saturday (February 27) starting at 1 p.m. ET. The Bobcats wrap up the series on Sunday (February 28) at noon ET. 

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