April 14, 2006

Box Score

ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio softball team returned to Mid-American Conference action today, splitting a doubleheader with Kent State. The Bobcats won the first game 1-0 but dropped the second 5-2.

Ohio is now 21-23 on the season and 5-5 in MAC play. The Bobcats have now earned splits in all five of their two-game sets against conference opponents.

Michelle Sauter (Chehalis, Wash.) was dominant on the mound in the opener, blanking the Golden Flashes on five hits in a complete game victory. She has now thrown eight complete games and two shutouts on the season. Sauter improves to 10-8 on the year with the win.

The Bobcat offense did not provide Sauter with much support but it provided just enough to pick up the win. In the bottom of the third, with one out, Marian Davis (Brighton, Mich.) reached base after being by a pitch and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Debbie Szalejko (Beavercreek, Ohio) followed with a single up the middle, Ohio's only hit of the game, to plate Davis and give the Bobcats a 1-0 edge they would not relinquish.

Kent State attempted to mount a comeback in the top of the seventh, putting a runner on third with one out. Sauter induced two grounders to Emily Futscher (Cincinnati, Ohio) at third to end the game and preserve the win for Ohio.

The defeat of Kent State made a loser out of top Golden Flash pitcher Brittney Robinson. Robinson had come into the game with a 4-0 mark against MAC competition.

Kent State got on the board first in the second game of the twin bill, scoring single runs in the second and fifth innings. The Bobcats clawed back into the game with two runs in the bottom of the fifth.

With one out and Amanda Sacks (Chugiak, Alaska) on second, Davis lined a double to the right-center field gap to score Sacks. An errant throw by the Kent State shortstop allowed Davis to come all the way around to score to even the game at two.

The game remained tied until the top of the seventh when the Golden Flashes put three runs on the board. Ohio put a runner on in its half of the seventh but was unable to cut into the gap.

Candace Warden (Hagerstown, Md.) took the loss for Ohio, going 6 2/3 innings and allowing three runs on six hits. Warden falls to 6-7 on the season with the loss.

Davis paced the Bobcat attack, going 2-for-2 at the plate with a run scored and a run batted in.

Ohio will be back on the diamond tomorrow when it hosts Buffalo at 2 p.m.