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Cullowhee, N.C. – The Ohio softball team (14-7) returned to action Friday morning for the first day of the 2026 Catamount Classic hosted by Western Carolina. Ohio opened the day with an 11-2, five inning win over Penn (6-5), before returning to action later in the afternoon to defeat Robert Morris (5-5), 12-10, in game two.
GAME ONE: Ohio 11, Penn 2 (5 Innings)
Overall, Ohio scored 11 runs on nine hits and did not commit an error, while Penn scored two runs on seven hits and committed two errors.
At the plate, senior
Shelby Westler (Marion, Ohio) went 2-for-3 with a double, home run, one run scored and five RBI. Senior
Colleen Bare (Pickerington, Ohio) went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and one run scored, while senior
Belle Hummel (Cincinnati, Ohio) added two hits, one double, two runs scored and two RBI. Junior
Kylie Gorsuch (North Canton, Ohio) went 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored, while sophomore
Alexis Book (Chillicothe, Ohio) added one double and scored a run. Junior
Izzie Wilson (Delaware, Ohio) recorded one RBI, while junior
Brenna Farmer (Mt. Blanchard, Ohio) drew three walks and scored two runs.
In the circle, senior
Keegan Moore (South Point, Ohio) got the start, tossing one inning, allowing one run on four hits and walked one. Sophomore
Ally Meyers (Waterville, Ohio) entered the game in the second inning, throwing four innings, allowing one run on three hits and struck out two.
Ohio got on the board in the top of the first inning, taking an early lead after Westler crushed a three-run home run to deep center, putting Ohio up 3-0 entering the bottom of the frame. Penn got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a leadoff home run. Penn would continue to threaten, loading the bases with two outs, however, the Ohio defense was able to force a ground out, sending the game to the second inning with the Bobcats leading, 3-1.
After a scoreless second, Ohio added on in the top of the third. Bare led the inning off with a solo home run to left, putting Ohio up 4-1. The Bobcats added two more runs before the end of the inning with an RBI ground out from Westler and a sacrifice fly from Wilson, putting the Bobcats up 6-1 going into the bottom of the third. After a scoreless bottom of the third from Penn, Ohio added on in the top of the fourth. After Hummel recorded an RBI double, Gorsuch registered an RBI single, setting up an RBI double opportunity from Westler, putting Ohio up 9-1 going into the bottom of the fourth.
After the Ohio defense sent Penn down in order in the bottom of the fourth, Ohio added on in the top of the fifth with an RBI single from Hummel and an RBI double from Bare, putting Ohio up, 11-1 headed into the bottom of the fifth.
Penn looked to extend the game in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Penn hit a solo home run and then followed that up with a double. However, the Ohio defense would get the next two batters to ground out, securing the 11-2 win for the Bobcats.
GAME TWO: Ohio 12, Robert Morris 10
Overall, Ohio scored 12 runs on 13 hits and committed two errors, while Robert Morris scored 10 runs on 10 hits and did not commit an error.
At the plate, Gorsuch went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI, while Book went 3-for-3 with an RBI, home run and three runs scored. Graduate student
Rylee McDaniel (Ventura, Calif.) went 2-for-4 with a home run, RBI and two runs scored, while sophomore
Jordyn Wycuff (Pataskala, Ohio) added a home run, three RBI and one run scored. Hummel scored two runs, while Bare registered the game-winning two-RBI double, while also scoring two runs.
In the circle, graduate student
Skipp Miller (Bradford, Ohio) got the start, pitching two innings, allowing five runs, four earned, on four hits and walked two. Meyers tossed three innings, allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits, walked two and struck out one, while Moore picked up the win after throwing two innings and did not allow a run or a hit, while walking one and striking out three.
Ohio took an early lead in the top of the first inning, scoring on a Farmer sacrifice fly and when Bare stole home, giving Ohio a 2-0 lead after one inning. Ohio added on in the top of the second, taking a 4-0 lead on a two-RBI single from Gorsuch. However, Robert Morris tied the game in the bottom of the inning, scoring four runs on three hits, including a home run to knot the game at 4-4 entering the third inning.
The Bobcats retook the lead in the top of the third inning on back-to-back home runs from Wycuff and McDaniel, putting Ohio up 7-4. Robert Morris cut the Ohio lead to two in the bottom of the inning scoring off an error to cut the Bobcats lead to 7-5 after three innings. The Bobcats got the run back in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Wycuff that scored Farmer, putting Ohio ahead 8-5, however Robert Morris responded with an RBI double, once again cutting into the Ohio lead going into the fifth inning.
A solo home run from Book once again put Ohio up three, but Robert Morris scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on a two-RBI double to cut the Ohio lead to 9-8 headed into the sixth inning. After a scoreless inning from Ohio in the top of the sixth, Robert Morris took the lead in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs on a two-RBI double to take a 10-9 lead into the seventh inning.
Ohio rallied in the top of the seventh, with a two-out, two-RBI double from Bare giving Ohio the lead back. Ohio would add one more run on an RBI double for Gorsuch, putting Ohio up, 12-10 headed into the bottom of the inning.
Robert Morris looked to rally in the bottom of the inning, but the Ohio defense sent RMU down in order, securing the 12-10 win.
UP NEXT
The Bobcats are back in action for day two of the Catamount Classic hosted by Western Carolina. Ohio begins the day at 10 a.m. ET against Penn, before returning to action at 3 p.m. ET against Western Carolina. The second game of the day can be seen on ESPN+.
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