A week ago the Ohio softball team was coming off a sweep of Miami and riding high. The Bobcats had taken over second place with their eyes on winning the East Division of the Mid-American Conference.
A week later there has been another sweep. However, it is Ohio (18-27 overall, 11-9 MAC) that has been swept. The Akron Zips took two games from Ohio Monday to complete the rain delayed three-game sweep. Ohio lost the first game, 3-2, in eight innings and dropped the second game, 8-3.
We hit the ball well but didn't play good defense
Ohio coach Roanna Brazier said. We hit it hard and we hit it at people. It was our defense that killed us. We had base running mistakes and we had a lot of errors.
Game two of the series was started on Saturday but was delayed until Monday along with the final game, due to rain. The game restarted in the top of the sixth inning with the score tied, 2-2. Neither team threatened until Akron (24-23, 8-12 MAC) scored in the bottom of the eighth against Ohio's best pitcher, Natalie Armstrong (6-6). A walk, a sacrifice bunt and a single to center field ended the game.
The last game of the series got off to a good start for Ohio as Erin Chapman hit a two-run home run in the top of the first inning.
The lead did not last long. Kerri Harley (6-10) would fail to retire a batter in the second inning. Akron scored four runs -two earned -on two hits with the aid of two Ohio errors. The inning also featured two wild pitches.
The Akron fourth inning brought more of the same, with the Zips posting another four-run inning to go up, 8-2. This time, Akron scored all four runs off Armstrong. Akron collected six hits in the inning, and all four runs were earned.
Armstrong gave up five earned runs in seven innings Monday. Armstrong had given up only three earned runs in MAC play going into the series. Her ERA increased from 1.82 to 2.02.
The series at Akron completed a long weekend for the Bobcats in which they went 1-4. Ohio split a doubleheader Friday at Youngstown State before traveling to Akron.
The Bobcats complete their seven-game road trip with two games at Eastern Michigan (15-26, 5-13 MAC). The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday at Varsity Field.
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Ohio pitcher Katlyn Mallete ducks so third baseman Emily Futscher can try to throw out a Miami runner in the game on April 24 at Ohio Softball Stadium.
