April 9, 2008

Box Score

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Ohio softball team split a doubleheader with Marshall Wednesday afternoon on the road. The Bobcats lost the first game, 8-5, and won game two, 3-2. Ohio is now 16-15 overall and Marshall is 17-24.

Ohio will be back in action this weekend at the Ohio Softball Field. The Bobcats will host conference foe Akron at 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Game One - Marshall 8, Ohio 5
Marshall held a 1-0 lead until Ohio scored its first run in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 1-1. With two outs, senior Kristen Salvatore (Kirtland, Ohio) doubled to right field before being batted home on an RBI single by freshman Emily Wethington (New Palestine, Ind.).

The teams battled it out in the fifth inning and scored two runs each to knot the game at 3-3. Freshman Jordan Paden (Walla Walla, Wash.) scored the first run of the inning for Ohio after hitting a double to left field while at bat. Senior Courtney Waters (Eagle River, Alaska) scored Ohio's second run on a ground-out RBI by senior Amanda Sacks (Chugiak, Alaska).

Marshall took command in the sixth by outscoring Ohio 5-to-2 to pull ahead 8-5. The Bobcats scored two runs in the top of the sixth to stay alive and be on top 5-3, but the Herd scored five runs in their half of the inning for the victory. Ohio's runs came on senior Maureen McKelvey's first career home run that drove Wethington home. McKelvey (Stow, Ohio) finished the game 1-for-2 with two RBI.

Wethington, who also pitched for Ohio, finished the game 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI. In the circle, she pitched 5.2 innings and struck out four batters. She is now 8-7 on the season.

For the game, both teams finished with nine hits, including three home runs by Marshall and one by Ohio.

Game Two - Ohio 3, Marshall 2
The Bobcats used a balanced attack in game two by scoring runs in the first, third and fourth innings for the victory.

In the top of the first, the `Cats were first on the scoreboard as Salvatore posted an RBI double to right field to score Waters. Waters then scored again for the Bobcats by hitting her first home run of the season in the top of the third. Marshall scored its first run in the bottom of the third inning, making Ohio's lead 2-1.

Wethington led off the fourth with a double to right center. She then reached third on a sacrifice bunt by Sacks before being batted home on a sacrifice fly to left field by senior Alicia Catlette (Mogadore, Ohio).

Marshall scored again in the sixth to pull within one, 3-2, but it wasn't enough as both teams went scoreless in the seventh and Ohio walked away with the win.

Senior Michelle Sauter (Chehalis, Wash.) pitched her 13th complete game of the season to improve to 8-7. She struck out seven batters for the second time this year, while giving up one earned run and four hits. Ohio's win snapped Marshall's five-game winning streak.