After dropping two consecutive games in its first day at The Frostbite Classic, the Ohio softball team used timely hitting and strong pitching to finish its weekend with two victories.
When you start losing a bunch of games in a row
you're confidence can get a little low coach Jill Matyuch said, It was really nice to get a couple of wins to go home with more confidence.
The Bobcats (7-7) collected their first win of the event yesterday in dramatic fashion, waiting until its final at-bat to seal a 4-3 victory against Youngstown State.
Leading 3-1 going into the seventh inning, the Bobcats kept it interesting, allowing two Penguin runs across home plate to knot the score, 3-3. It only took three at-bats for Ohio to end Youngstown State's hopes at extra innings, however, as Kristen Salvatore scored the game-winning run off a Debbie Szalejko double down the right field line.
Michelle Sauter set the trend of strong pitching for the day, going the distance and allowing only one earned run and striking out five in the process.
Candace Warden made sure that the Bobcats' second game of the day, this time against Morehead State, would not be so dramatic.
Warden tallied her first win of the season in style with a complete-game, three-hit shutout against the Eagles, the first for the Bobcats so far this season.
I felt really strong out there Warden said. Everyone played a really complete game and our defense was great.
After knocking in a run on a groundout in the second inning, first baseman Robin Miller gave Warden more than enough run support in the fourth inning with a two-run home run to left field, making the score 3-0, where it would stand until the end.
Miller, who went 5-for-11 with five RBI for the weekend, attributed her performance to work in the batting cage.
I've just been working really hard in the cages
she said. Everyone else has done a great job as well
and it showed this weekend.
The Bobcats will be back in action next weekend when they travel to Rock Hill, S.C., for the Winthrop Adidas Invitational.
17
Archives
Andrew Gribble
