April 8, 2007

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ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio softball team closed out the weekend with a two-game sweep of Toledo on Sunday at the Ohio Softball Field. The Bobcats won game one, 8-0, and game two 6-1.

With the wins, Ohio advances 16-19 on the season and 5-3 in the Mid-American Conference and at home. Toledo drops 6-20 overall and 2-4 in the MAC.

The Bobcats hit .383 in the doubleheader, totaling 18 hits and outscoring the Rockets 14-1. The `Cats had four doubles, two triples and 13 RBI. Five players were hit by pitches and five walked.

"I'm impressed with how we hit the ball today," said Head Coach Jill Matyuch. "I also like how we used our base runners."

Senior Kelly Rodriguez (Miami, Fla.) led Ohio's offense today with a .667 batting average. In two games, Rodriguez was 4-for-6 while scoring one run and a RBI. She was also 2-for-2 for bases stolen and attempted.

Senior Debbie Szalejko (Beavercreek, Ohio) and freshman Candace Saucedo (Ontario, Calif.) both batted .600 on the day. Szalejko went 3-for-5 while scoring a team-high three runs. She also had a double and a triple to go along with two RBI. Saucedo went 3-for-5 and scored two runs. She also had a triple and a RBI.

Junior Michelle Sauter (Chehalis, Wash.) pitched a complete five inning game in game one and finished the day with two wins, advancing to a 10-7 record for the season and a team-best 2.18 ERA. Sauter pitched 10 innings on the day while allowing only three hits and zero runs. She walked three and struck out 12 Rockets.

Game One
Ohio was the only team on the scoreboard in game one, scoring five runs in the second inning, one run in the fourth inning and two runs in the fifth for the five-inning win.

Saucedo led the second inning off with a single to left field. Kristen Salvatore (Kirtland, Ohio) followed with a double that advanced Saucedo to third. A ground out to short by Alicia Catlette (Mogadore, Ohio) scored Saucedo and advanced Salvatore to third. A RBI triple by Szalejko scored Salvatore. Courtney Waters (Eagle River, Alaska) then walked and stole second. Shalene Petrich (Chehalis, Wash.) batted Salvatore and Waters in before scoring Ohio's fifth run on a RBI single from Rodriguez.

Szalejko scored Ohio's only run in the fourth inning by doubling at bat, advancing to third on a passed ball and scoring on an error.

Ohio's last two runs in the fifth inning came after a double by Waters scored runners Szalejko and Amanda Sacks (Chugiak, Alaska).

Game Two
Ohio took control early in game two by scoring all of its six runs in the bottom of the fourth and holding Toledo to just one run in the top of seventh.

Waters led the scoring inning off with a walk and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Waters advanced to third as Rodriguez singled. Waters then scored as Marian Davis (Brighton, Mich.) reached on a fielder's choice and Rodriguez advanced to second. Saucedo then tripled, batting Davis and Rodriguez in for two RBI. Saucedo then scored on a double to left field by Salvatore. Salvatore advanced to third on a wild pitch and was batted home on a RBI single from Allie Farrington (Wilton, NH). Catlette scored Ohio's sixth run after coming in to pinch run for Farrington and being batted in by Szalejko.

The Bobcats continue their homestand on Wednesday, April 11 with a doubleheader against Youngstown State. The first game is slated for a 1 p.m. start.