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OXFORD, Ohio – Led by clutch hitting and grit, the Ohio softball team (10-17, 4-4 MAC) returned to action Saturday (April 2), completing two dramatic comebacks against Miami (15-12, 6-2 MAC) to sweep the doubleheader and to seal the series victory. The Bobcats took game one, 13-12 in 11 innings, before erasing a seven-run deficit in game two to win 12-7. 
 
The Bobcats victories snapped the RedHawks 11-game winning streak and handed them their first two conference losses. 
 
GAME ONE: Ohio 13, Miami 12 (11 Innings)
Overall, Ohio scored 13 runs on 16 hits and committed one error, while Miami scored 12 runs on 16 hits and committed two errors. 
 
Sophomore Annalia Paoli (Point Marion, Pa.) led Ohio, going 5-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI, while fifth year Allie Englant (Long Beach, Calif.) went 3-for-5 with two doubles, one RBI and two runs scored. Graduate student Megan McMenemy (Westerville, Ohio) went 3-for-six with an RBI and three runs scored. Sophomore Yasmine Logan (Pittsburgh, Pa.) had a homerun and three runs scored, while senior Caroline Spacek (Beaumont, Texas) registered a double and two RBI. Graduate student Tori Walker (Plain City, Ohio) added a hit, run scored and three RBI, while junior Sophia Bernard (Canton, Ohio) recorded a double, RBI and a run scored. Fifth year Brooke Rice (Mason, Ohio) also added a double foe the Bobcats. 
 
Ohio threatened in the top of the first inning. After Englant singled to lead off the game, she moved to second when McMenemy reached on an error. Then with one out, Paoli singled to load the bases, however, the Ohio offense was unable to capitalize. 
 
Miami got on the board in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs on three hits and was highlighted by two homeruns to put the RedHawks up 3-0 after one inning. The RedHawks added on in the bottom of the third inning on a sacrifice fly, giving Miami a 4-0 lead after three innings. 
 
After an uneventful fourth inning from both teams, Ohio finally got on the board in the top of the fifth inning. With one out, Englant doubled to right. After Logan drew a walk, Englant scored on an RBI single from McMenemy. After Paoli walked to load the bases, Spacek roped a double to right, cutting the Miami lead to 4-3. After. Miami pitching change, Senior Caitlin Fogue (Columbia, Mo.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, allowing Walker to draw a walk, scoring Paoli and tying the game at 4-4. 
 
However, Miami responded in the bottom of the frame, scoring three runs on three hits to take a 7-4 lead going into the top of the sixth inning.
 
The Bobcats responded in the top of the sixth. After Englant and Logan drew walks to start the inning, Miami was forced to change pitchers. Then with no outs, McMenemy singled to load the bases, allowing Paoli to double, scoring Englant and Paoli to cut the Miami lead to 7-6. Then with two outs, Walker singled, scoring Paoli and McMenemy, giving the Bobcats an 8-7 lead going to the bottom of the sixth. 
 
However, Miami was able to get a run back in the bottom of the frame, tying the game at 8-8 going to the seventh inning. 
 
The Bobcats responded in the top of the seventh inning, retaking the lead when Logan hit a one-out solo shot to left, giving Ohio the 9-8 lead. However, Miami tied the game up in the bottom of the frame, forcing the game to extras with the game tied at 9-9. 
 
Ohio retook the lead in the top of the eighth inning after an RBI double from Bernard game the Bobcats an 11-9 lead. However, Miami tied the game back up with a two-run homerun in the bottom of the inning to extend the game to the ninth. 
 
After a scoreless ninth inning, Ohio retook the lead in the top of the 10^th after an RBI double from Englant game Ohio a 12-11 lead. However, once again, Miami tied the game at 12-12 on a lead-off homerun, tying the game at 12-12 going into the top of the 11^th. 
 
In the top of the 11^th, McMenemy led off with a single and then moved to second after a single from Paoli. After a ground out allowed the runners to move up, a double play forced by Fogue allowed McMenemy to score, giving Ohio the one-run lead going into the bottom of the fame. 
 
The Bobcats defense held strong in the bottom of the inning, sending the RedHawks down in order, sealing the 13-12 victory and snapping Miami's 11-game winning streak 
 
In the circle, senior Mackensie Kohl (Corona Del Mar, Calif.) pitched 8.1 innings, allowing nine runs on 12 hits, walked three and struck out six. Senior Kylie Coffelt (Beloit, Ohio) pitched 2.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and struck out one. 
 
GAME TWO: Ohio 12, Miami 7
Overall, Ohio scored 12 runs on 16 hits and committed one error, while Miami scored seven runs on 11 hits and committed one error. 
 
Individually, Spacek went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Fogue went 2-for-4 with one homerun, one run scored and three RBI. Rice went 2-for-2 with two homeruns, three runs scored and two RBI, while Englant added two hits, one double and one RBI. Logan and McMenemy both added two hits, while freshman Lauren Yuhas (West Mifflin, Pa.), Paoli and walker all registered hits. 
 
Miami struck first in the bottom of the first inning, scoring four runs on three hits and one error to take the early 4-0 lead. They added on in the bottom of the second, scoring three runs on three hits, taking a commanding 7-0 lead after two innings. 
 
The Bobcats got in the board in the top of the third. After Rice walked, Englant doubled, allowing Rice to score, cutting the Miami lead to 7-1 after three innings. The Bobcats continued to chip away in the top of the fourth inning when McMenemy scored on a ground out from Fogue, cutting the RedHawks's lead to 7-2 after four innings 
 
The Ohio offense sprung alive in the top of the fifth inning. Rice led the inning off with a solo homerun to cut the Miami lead to 7-3. After Yuhas and Englant singled to put runners on with one out, McMenemy singled to load the bases. After Paoli reached on an RBI single, Spacek followed up with a two-RBI single, making it a one-run game, still with one out.
 
After Paoli scored on a passed ball, Fogue crushed a two-run homerun to give the Bobcats its first lead of the game. Rice then came back to the plate and hit her second solo homerun of the inning, putting the Bobcats up 10-7. Overall, the Bobcats scored eight runs on eight hits in the top half of the frame. 
 
Miami threatened in the bottom of the frame and again in the bottom of the sixth, however, the Bobcats defense held strong, retiring the RedHawks to keep it a 10-7 game going into the seventh inning. 
 
The Bobcats added on in the top of the seventh, scoring on an RBI single from Walker and an RBI single from Logan, putting Ohio up, 12-7, going into the bottom of the seventh 
 
After a leadoff double from the RedHawks in the bottom of the seventh, the Ohio defense responded, retiring the next three batters, sealing the 12-7 comeback victory. 
 
In the circle, Coffelt pitched all seven innings, allowing seven runs on 11 hits, walked six and struck out one. 
 
UP NEXT
Ohio returns to Athens for a midweek matchup with Akron April 5-6. The Bobcats and Zips will play a single game on Tuesday, April 5 at 5 p.m. and wrap up the series with a doubleheader on Wednesday starting at 1 p.m. 
 
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