Oct. 17, 2009

ATHENS, Ohio - Ohio softball wrapped up its fall slate of games in fine fashion, battling a strong Marshall squad to a pair of ties, 3-3 and 4-4.

Mother Nature threatened to spoil the action two days prior by dropping its share of rain. Evidently she did not take Ohio's groundskeeping abilities into account as the `Cats had the field in fine shape and ready to be played on come game time.

After struggling to get the timely offense it needed in a pair of tough losses to the Thundering Herd the end of last season, it was not the case for the Green and White. Ohio took advantage of timely hitting in key moments and threw in solid pitching as well.

Freshman Caitlin Colvin (Bonney Lake, Wash.) started game one and kept Marshall's strong hitting offense off balance through the first four innings, giving the `Cats a 3-2 lead at the start of the fifth inning. Candace Saucedo (Ontario, Calif.) came on in relief and allowed just one run in relief. Ohio also enjoyed clutch defensive play in the contest as well. The highlight coming on sophomore Jillian Van Wagnen's (Lorain, Ohio) running catch crashing into the wall to rob the Herd of a big hit. The game ended deadlocked at 3-3.

Timely hitting from the Green and White highlighted game two. Junior Emily Wethington (New Palestine, Ind.) started the game for the `Cats and nearly stifled Marshall's offense, allowing just one scattered run in five innings of work. It took Ohio's offense a couple innings to get its timing against the Herd's hurler, but it eventually came back to tie the contest in the seventh inning. Freshman Chelsea Hortman (Lebanon, Ohio) opened the seventh inning with a big leadoff triple. Fellow freshman Jenna Giusti (Danville, Calif.) then doubled to right center to plate Hortman. A couple batters later, Jordan Paden (Walla Walla, Wash.) laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to tie the action. The two squads played an international tie breaker in the eighth inning, but neither squad was able to get a run and the contest ended in the 4-4 tie.

"We were very happy and pleased with the outcomes and the fall season as a whole," Ohio coach Jodi Hermanek said. "That said, we are always hungry and will continue to get one percent better each day."

The `Cats will now continue preparations for its 2010 campaign. Players will wrap up the rest of fall with one-on-one workouts, video analysis and mental preparations. The coaching staff, meanwhile, will jump into the fall recruiting tournament tour. The 2010 season will officially get underway Feb. 11 against Southern Utah at the Arizona State Kajikawa Classic.