April 20, 2007

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ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio softball team hits the road this weekend for a two-game series against Akron. The teams match up on Saturday at 2 p.m. and then again on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Bobcats are third in the MAC East with an 18-22, 7-5 MAC record while the Zips are in fourth place with a 12-19, 5-5 MAC record.

Senior Kelly Rodriguez (Miami, Fla.) has powered the Bobcats at the plate with a nine-game hitting streak and a .381 batting average. Rodriguez has started every game of the season and has a team-high 28 RBI. She has hit eight doubles, stolen five bases and scored 17 runs.

Senior Debbie Szalejko (Beavercreek, Ohio) bats .380 on the season with a three-game hitting streak intact. Szalejko has 13 runs, 11 RBI, 11 walks, eight steals, five doubles and three triples. Freshman Shalene Petrich (Chehalis, Wash.) leads the team with 20 runs and 20 stolen bases. She's third on the team with a .313 batting average and has nine RBI and two doubles.

Michelle Sauter (Chehalis, Wash.) heads to the pitching circle with a 2.34 ERA. She has a 12-8 record, has made 28 appearances and has put in 116.2 innings of work. She's also struck out 94 batters on the season.

K-ROD
So far this season Rodriguez has placed on six of Ohio's all-time career lists and is close to breaking into two more. Her two home runs on Wednesday increased her career total to 9, which is just one away from a third-place tie on the Bobcat all-time list. Rodriguez is also one walk away from breaking into Ohio's all-time career list for walks, she has 44.

IF ... THEN
Two Wins this weekend would ...
- Improve the `Cats 20-22 on the season
- Improve the `Cats 6-8 away from home
- Improve Coach Matyuch's career record to 47-62
- Make the `Cats 647-740-5 all-time

Two Losses this weekend would ...
- Drop the `Cats 20-22 on the season
- Drop the `Cats 4-10 away from home
- Drop Coach Matyuch's career record to 45-64
- Make the `Cats 645-742-5 all-time

A Split this weekend would ...
- Make the `Cats 19-23 on the season
- Make the `Cats 5-9 away from home
- Make the Coach Matyuch's career record to 46-63
- Make the `Cats 646-741-5 all-time