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

GREENVILLE, N.C. -- The Ohio softball team (0-4) returned to action on Saturday (Feb. 27), dropping both games of a doubleheader to East Carolina (7-2). The Bobcats fell 7-1 in game one, before coming up short in game two, 10-4. 

GAME ONE East Carolina 5, Ohio 1
East Carolina outhit the Bobcats, 7-5. Ohio recorded two doubles to the Pirates' one. 

Senior shortstop Katie Yun (North Canton, Ohio) and freshman third baseman Annalia Paoli (Point Marion, Pa.) both recorded doubles, while graduate senior second baseman Mikenzie Vaughn (Kennesaw, Ga.), junior first baseman Caroline Spacek (Beaumont, Texas) and junior outfielder Caitlin Fogue (Columbia, Mo.) all registered base hits for Ohio. Freshman designated player Tori O'Brien (Mason, Ohio) scored the Bobcats' lone run.   

East Carolina struck first in the bottom of the first inning, taking a 2-0 lead after the first full frame. The Bobcats responded in the top of the third inning, scoring one to cut the ECU lead to 2-1 after O'Brien scored on an RBI single from Vaughn.

ECU responded, scoring runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth and innings to take a 5-1 lead late in the game.

Senior pitcher Madi McCrady (Brimfield, Ohio) got the start and pitched two-thirds of an inning, allowing two runs on two hits. Sophomore pitcher Holly Brehm (Mullens, W. Va.) entered in the bottom of the first inning and pitched 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits. She walked one and struck out three. 

For ECU, starting pitcher Kama Woodall pitched seven innings and allowed one run on five hits, walking two and striking out eight. 

GAME TWO: East Carolina 10 Ohio 4
Ohio recorded 11 hits and were led by senior outfielder Allie Englant (Long Beach, Calif.), who finished with three singles and one run scored. Vaughn added two hits, as did Paoli, who hit her first career home run and added three RBIs. Fogue, Spacek, Yun and senior catcher Brooke Rice (Mason, Ohio) all added hits for the Bobcats. 

Ohio struck first in the top of the first inning when Paoli hit her first career home run, a three-run shot to left field that gave Ohio the early 3-0 lead. 

East Carolina responded in the bottom of the second inning, however, scoring four runs on five hits to take a 5-3 lead. The Bobcats left two runners on in the top of the third inning, while ECU added two more runs in the bottom of the frame to take a 7-3 lead. The Pirates went on to take a 9-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run home run by sophomore outfielder Keira Womack

The Bobcats were able to get a run back in the top of the fifth inning when Paoli scored on an RBI single from Fogue, cutting the Ohio deficit to 9-4. 

Ohio threatened once again in the top of the sixth inning with singles from Yun and Vaughn, putting runners on first and second. However, the Bobcats were unable to push the runs across, missing an opportunity to close the gap.

ECU added another run in the bottom of the sixth, going on to finish out the game with a six-run victory

The Pirates' pitching duo of freshman Logyn Estes and junior Erin Poepping threw a combined seven innings, allowing four runs on 11 hits, walked three and struck out five. 

In the circle, junior pitcher Mackensie Kohl (Corona Del Mar, Calif.) got the start, allowing seven runs on eight hits in 2.1 innings. She walked two and struck out two. McCrady entered the game and pitched three innings, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks while fanning two. Freshman Cassidy Zaker (Lancaster, Ohio) made her Ohio debut, pitching two-thirds of an inning.

UP NEXT
Ohio wraps up the three-game series against East Carolina on Sunday (February 28). First pitch is set for noon ET. 

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