Jodi Hermanek's philosophy is becoming a theme for the Bobcats.
Ohio continued its trend of knocking the opposition's starter out early in yesterday's 4-2 win over Mid-American Conference foe Buffalo at Nan Harvey Field.
We didn't let the pitcher get in her zone
Hermanek said. We didn't let her get settled and get her confidence up.
The Bobcats got to Buffalo starter Terese Diaz from the start.
Melissa Bonner started the scoring for the Bobcats with a two-run home run to give the Bobcats a 2-0 lead.
Buffalo struck back in the bottom half of the inning. Candice Sheehan greeted Bobcats' starter Emily Wethington with a triple. Sheehan came around to score on an Erin Zilka RBI single.
Any momentum the Bulls had swung back in favor of the Bobcats as they took to the plate in the second inning.
Ohio put two more runs on the board in the inning. Shalene Petrich plated the Bobcats third run of the game with an RBI single. A sacrifice fly by Bonner that scored Erika Girard gave Ohio what turned out to be all the insurance that it needed to come away with the win later in the inning.
Diaz was forced from the game after giving up four runs in only 1 1/3 innings pitched.
Buffalo put its final run on the board in the third on a home run by catcher Kristin Waldron.
Wethington wasn't dominant, but was very effective in her complete-game win. The sophomore allowed six hits and struck out seven Bulls in the game.
Buffalo (18-17, 1-10 MAC) threatened again in the fifth inning.
After a one-out walk to Zilka, Waldron hit a double into the outfield gap. Zilka rounded third and headed for home. But she was gunned down at the plate by a perfect relay throw from shortstop Alexis Zambrana.
That was a key play as far as making the momentum change Hermanek said. If that run would have scored it would have been a one-run ballgame and a much tighter score.
It really made us confident that our defense will stay behind us no matter what.
Wethington walked the next two batters she faced to load the bases before striking out pitcher Sharon Barr to end the threat and the inning.
Zambrana flashed both the glove and the bat for Ohio (16-17 6-6 MAC). With her 2-for-4 day at the plate
the freshman extended her hitting streak to 10 games.
I just go up there thinking I have to put the bat on the ball, Zambrana said. I'm concentrating on not striking out and putting the ball into play.
The win yesterday completed a two-game sweep of Buffalo. Ohio won game one on Saturday 6-5. Candance Saucedo led the Bobcats with a pinch-hit double that drove in two and scored what turned out to be the winning run.
Ohio lost both games of a doubleheader to Kent State on Friday
8-2 in game one and 3-2 in game two. The Bobcats have won 8 of their last 10 games.
,",2,Sports,Michael Lewis,27827a.jpg,Shalene Petrich swings during a win over the Eagles on April 3. Ohio was on both sides of a sweep this weekend
losing twice to Kent State and taking two against Buffalo.
