The Bobcats' run in the Mid-American Conference Tournament came to an end Friday night, but not before they pulled off the Tournament's biggest upset.
Seventh-seeded Ohio stunned defending champion Kent State by a score of 2-1 in eight innings Friday afternoon before falling to eventual MAC champion Eastern Michigan 8-3 that night.
I'm definitely proud of the way we played
catcher Marian Davis said. It's a great feeling knocking out a team above you. It's sad that it ended but we had a great run.
Ohio fell behind Kent State 1-0 in the second inning before first baseman Deanna Hartsough singled and then scored on outfielder Kelly Rodriguez's triple in the fourth inning.
The score stayed tied until the eighth inning, when the Bobcats pulled off the upset in thrilling fashion.
With two outs and runners on first and second, Hartsough fell behind 0-2 before knocking in outfielder Debbie Szalejko to send the top seed in the tournament home early.
It just went over the shortstop's head and I looked back and saw it on the ground and I just got really excited Hartsough said. It felt great to put my team into the next round.
Another reason the Bobcats were able to pull off the win was the stellar relief performance by pitcher Candace Saucedo. Saucedo came in for starter Michelle Sauter in the third inning and didn't allow Kent State to score a run, as she pitched six shutout innings while giving up just four hits.
It was awesome
coach Jill Matyuch said of Saucedo's performance. She just kept a very strong team at bay.
A few hours later, the Bobcats' season ended when they lost for the fourth time this season to Eastern Michigan.
The 'Cats fell behind early once again as Eastern Michigan scored two runs in the first inning. Davis cut the lead in half with her second home run of the season and fifth of her career in the second inning.
That would be as close as the Bobcats would get, as the Eagles used a four-run third inning to put the game away.
They have a really great pitching staff. We just couldn't quite figure it out ' we couldn't put it together
Davis said. We fought hard today
but we couldn't quite pull it out. They definitely have our number this year
that is for sure.
Despite the loss, Matyuch said she was happy with her team's performance throughout the tournament.
I was very proud of our effort
Matyuch said. We asked our team to compete and play with passion and that's what we got in the four games.
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