April 8, 2006

Box Score

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Alicia Catlette (Mogadore, Ohio) and Shannon Weidner (Pickerington, Ohio) each doubled home runs in the top of the 12th inning to give the Ohio softball team a 3-1 win over Mid-American Conference East Division-leading Bowling Green.

The 12 inning-contest is the longest Ohio game since the 2004 season when the Bobcats won a 1-0 decision over Buffalo. The win snaps Ohio's four-game losing streak to Bowling Green and improves Ohio's record to 19-20 overall and 4-3 in MAC play.

The heroics of Catlette and Weidner made a winner out of Michelle Sauter (Chehalis, Wash.). The sophomore right-hander pitched all 12 innings for the Bobcats, marking the first time since March 26, 2003 that an Ohio pitcher threw more than nine innings. Sauter, who outdueled defending MAC Pitcher of the Year Liz Vrabel, gave up only one earned run on six hits while striking out seven.

In the top of the 12th frame, with the international tiebreaker going into effect, Courtney Waters (Eagle River, Alaska) was placed on second base. After Debbie Szalejko (Beavercreek, Ohio) sacrificed Waters over to second, Catlette doubled to left center to score Waters and untie the game for the first time since the fourth inning.

One out later, Weidner roped a double to left field to score Catlette and give Sauter a two-run cushion going into the bottom of the twelfth. Sauter made short work of the Falcons in their half of the frame, retiring the side in order to give Ohio the win and improve her record to 9-7.

Catlette paced the Bobcat offense, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI.

Bowling Green had a chance to end the game in regulation after Jeanine Baca led off the frame with a double. Sauter buckled down after surrendering the double, retiring the next three batters in order to send the game to extra innings.

Both teams had multiple chances to take the lead before the 12th but neither was able to push a runner across. The Bobcats put a runner in scoring position in the eighth, 10th and 11th innings with Bowling Green putting a runner in scoring position in the eighth, ninth and 11th innings.

The Bobcats got on the board first with a single tally in the top of the fourth. With two outs, Waters walked and stole second. Szalejko followed with a single to left field to plate Waters and give Ohio a 1-0 lead. Bowling Green came right back with a run in its half of the inning to even the game at one.

Ohio will look for the series sweep over Bowling Green tomorrow with a 1 p.m. start.