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AMHERST, Mass. – The Ohio softball team (35-17, 17-9 MAC) returned to action Friday afternoon (May 1), defeating Mid-American Conference opponent UMass (18-30, 9-17 MAC) in both games of the doubleheader. Ohio won game one, 2-1, before winning game two, 10-4.
GAME ONE: Ohio 2, UMass 1
Overall, Ohio scored two runs on eight hits and committed without committing an error, while UMass scored one run on four hits and committed one error.
At the plate, senior Belle Hummel (Cincinnati, Ohio) went 2-for-3 with a home run, RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Jordyn Wycuff (Pataskala, Ohio) went 2-for-3 at the plate, including a double. Senior Colleen Bare (Pickerington, Ohio) added two hits and senior Shelby Westler (Marion, Ohio) recorded one RBI. Sophomore Sydney Young (Charleston, W. Va.) and graduate student Rylee McDaniel (Ventura, Calif.) each finished with one hit.
In the circle, graduate student Skipp Miller (Bradford, Ohio) got her 19th win of the season, allowing one run on four hits, walked two and struck out four in seven innings pitched. With her four strikeouts in the game, Miller recorded her 500th career strikeout.
Hummel quickly became the Ohio single season hits leader in the top of the first inning, leading the game off with a solo home run to put Ohio up 1-0 early. The hit broke Katie Yun's previous mark of 79 set in 2019. UMass responded in the bottom of the inning, scoring one run on one hit to tie the game at 1-1.
After a scoreless second, Hummel walked, and Bare singled to open the third. Moments later, a sacrifice fly from Westler scored Hummel from third to give Ohio a 2-1 lead.
Miller and the Bobcat defense shut down the Minutewomen, allowing three hits in the remainder of the game and keeping UMass scoreless to take game one, 2-1.
GAME TWO: Ohio 10, UMass 4
Overall, Ohio scored 10 runs on 14 hits and did not commit an error, while UMass scored four runs on 11 hits and committed one error.
At the plate, Westler went 3-for-4 with a home run, four RBI and three runs scored. Junior Brenna Farmer (Mt. Blanchard, Ohio) finished with three hits, including two doubles, an RBI and one run. Young went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and two RBI, while Bare finished with a solo home run, one RBI and two runs scored. Hummel scored two runs on one hit, while Wycuff scored one run on one hit.
In the circle, junior Mikie Lieving (New haven, W. Va.) got the start, allowing two runs on four hits and struck out two in three innings pitched. Senior Keegan Moore (South Point, Ohio) allowed two runs on six hits and walked one in three innings pitched and picked up her ninth win of the season. Sophomore Ally Meyers (Waterville, Ohio) pitched the final inning, allowing no runs or hits.
With runners in scoring position, Westler struck a two-RBI single up the middle to get on the board, becoming the Ohio single season RBI leader with her 61st RBI in the process, breaking Lauren Gellerman's 2013 mark of 60. Young followed with a double to left, with Westler racing home from first to extend the lead, 3-0, in the top of the first.
UMass scored two runs in the bottom of the second to cut into the Ohio lead to 3-2.
Bare opened the top of the third with a solo home run to deep center field. Farmer followed with a double, then Westler crushed the ball for a two-run home run. Sophomore Alexis Book (Chillicothe, Ohio) capped the strong inning with an RBI single, extending Ohio's lead, 7-2.
The Minutewomen scored one run in the bottom of the fourth and the fifth to cut into the Ohio lead, 7-4.
The Bobcats added to their total in the bottom of the sixth. Farmer hit an RBI single up the middle, then crossed home on a groundout. Young singled to left for the third run in the top of the sixth for a 10-4 advantage.
Ohio shut down UMass in the seventh to secure the victory, 10-4.
UP NEXT:
The Bobcats wrap up the three-game series and close out the regular season with UMass on Saturday, May 2. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. ET.
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