April 1, 2007

Box Score

ATHENS, Ohio - The Bobcat softball team had its three-game winning streak stopped with a 1-0 loss against Miami at the Ohio Softball Field on Sunday, April 1. The Bobcats finished their first weekend of conference action with a 3-1 record and now stand at 14-17 overall.

The lone run in the game came in the top of the seventh inning. Christine Bills started the rally with a one-out double and went to third on a single by Kimberly Williams who moved up to second base when the Bobcats' attempted to put out the runner at third on a missed bunt. Natalie Armstrong (Murrysville, Pa.) recorded her fourth strikeout of the game for the second out before being replaced by Michelle Sauter (Chehalis, Wash.) in the circle. Halle Popson and Alicia Hogl then drew consecutive walks to force home the run. Sauter ended the inning with a strikeout.

The Bobcats did not go quietly in the home half of the seventh. Meagan McCutcheon (Mogadore, Ohio) led off the inning with a single. Marian Davis (Brighton, Mich.) lined a one-out single to right, but pinch runner Danielle Kelley (Franklin, Tenn.) was cut down trying to go from first to third. Davis moved into scoring position on the play, but the game ended a ground ball to shortstop.

"Even though we didn't get a lot of hits, we made good contact." Head Coach Jill Matyuch said. "We played phenomenal defense and got some good pitching. We had all three components, but in the last inning, we had too many mental mistakes and it cost us. You can't have those mental breakdowns in pressure situations."

The Ohio offense registered three hits on the afternoon - singles by McCutcheon, Davis and Kelly Rodgriguez (Miami, Fla.). Rodriguez's second-inning single to center ran her team-high hitting streak to nine games.

The Bobcats used three pitchers to limit the RedHawks (11-25-1, 2-2 MAC) to the lone run. Candace Saucedo (Ontario, Calif.) started the game and threw four-plus innings of shutout softball. Armstrong (3-5) was the losing pitcher in relief, giving up one run on two hits while striking out four and walking two. Sauter threw one-third of an inning, striking out one and walking two.

Miami's Meredith Linch (5-12) was the winning pitcher. Linch allowed three hits, striking out one and walking one in the complete-game shutout. Bills and Williams each had two hits to pace the RedHawks' offense.

Ohio was able to keep Miami off the scoreboard through six innings thanks to its defense and timely pitching. The Bobcats' turned their fifth double play of the weekend in the first inning, and in the second were able to thwart a sacrifice bunt attempt and throw out the batter, who was attempting to catch the Bobcats' napping after reaching on the fielder's choice, at second base. Davis threw out a would-be base stealer in the third inning and Rodriguez was able to nab a runner at third base trying to go from first to third on a single to right in the fourth. Miami put a runner on third with one out in the fifth, but Armstrong wiggled off the hook with a strikeout and a bases-loaded ground ball back to the circle.

"They got eight hits, they tried to stretch bases, and we caught them.," Matyuch said. "We got another double play, and we kept them from stealing for the most part. You can't ask anymore from your pitchers, your defense and putting the ball in play like we did."

The Bobcats step out of conference on Wednesday, April 4 when they travel to Columbus to face Ohio State. The first game of the doubleheader gets underway at 5 p.m. Ohio hosts another set of MAC contests beginning on Friday, April 6 with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Bowling Green. Toledo comes to Athens for a 2 p.m. game on Saturday and a 1 p.m. match-up on Sunday.