AKRON ' Ohio's six seniors walked onto the field and lifted a plaque over their heads with smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes.
It wasn't the Mid-American Conference Tournament champion trophy, but the runner-up award. For the sixth-seed Bobcats, who battled just to get in the tournament, it was more than expected.
Ohio ended its season with a 5-0 loss to Kent State in the MAC Tournament championship game Saturday at Firestone Field.
Pitcher Michelle Sauter said that besides winning, this was the best outcome she could imagine.
My freshman year
we came here and we were horrible Sauter said. We just wanted to get better and for us to get second place in the conference tournament when no one even picked us to do well is just an amazing feeling for us.
Kent State got on the board with one run in the bottom of the second inning. Corey Houk was knocked in by Ashlee Hein to give Kent State the 1-0 lead. The Golden Flashes scored two more in the fourth and one in the fifth to stretch their lead to 4-0.
They weren't done yet, however. With two outs in the top of the sixth, Kalie Germaine reached base on a fielder's choice. She advanced to second on an error and scored on a single by Lauren Brocklehurst for the final run of the game.
Ohio could not recover and the Golden Flashes became the new MAC Champions with a score of 5-0.
Sauter, who was named to the All-Tournament team, pitched a complete game and took the loss. Gabrielle Burns won the game for Kent State.
I think our whole team should have gotten it because every single one of us performed in some way and you can't do anything without your team Sauter said.
Melissa Bonner and Shalene Petrich were the other members of Ohio to make the All-Tournament team.
Ohio's run in the tournament was kept alive by two wins Friday against Western Michigan and Bowling Green. Against the Broncos, Ohio scored eight runs by the fifth inning and the game was ended on a mercy-rule win 8-0. They took care of the Falcons handily as well, winning 10-4.
Coach Jill Matyuch said the team played phenomenally and she is proud of their tournament run.
I couldn't ask for more from these 19 young women
she said. We had a goal. We fell a little bit short but we surpassed a lot of expectations.
Ohio needed to beat Bowling Green again on Saturday because the game Friday was the Falcons' first loss of the tournament. The Bobcats beat Bowling Green, 2-1 in ten innings, ending just 30 minutes before the championship game.
Matyuch said that playing two games so close together did not contribute to the loss against Kent State.
At this point
fatigue doesn't factor in
Matyuch said. Kent State was just on fire today. They hit the ball well today ... speed never has an off day and they used that to their advantage.
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