The Bobcats put up a strong fight, but in the end, were unable to come away with the win.
Facing elimination in the Mid-American Conference Tournament, Ohio lost a heartbreaking game to Akron, 2-1, in eight innings at Firestone Stadium in Akron.
It was the way a softball game should have been played
coach Jodi Hermanek said. It was a great game played by both teams.
We just didn't come up with hits in a timely fashion.
Shortstop Sarah Earley was struck for the second time in the game for Akron as she was hit by a Candace Saucedo pitch. Earley later came around to score the winning run on a single by catcher Allison Dorr in the top of the eighth.
Ohio was retired in order to end the game and its season.
Despite the Bobcats' early exit from the tournament their season can be defined as a relative success
especially offensively.
Ohio posted offensive numbers that ranked in the top 10 in school history in hits
RBIs
doubles and triples. The Bobcats' .298 team batting average was the highest in the MAC.
I'm very proud to be a part of this program, Hermanek said. We have all of our starters returning next year so we're only going to get stronger and better.
The Bobcats wasted little time putting their run on the board.
Alexis Zambrana led off the Bobcats' first with a base hit to left field. Shalene Petrich sacrificed her to second and after Melissa Bonner added an infield hit to second base
the Bobcats found themselves in business with runners at first and third with only one out.
Zambrana showed her speed and smarts on the next play as Deanna Hartsough grounded a ball to second base. Zambrana raced home and was able to slide just under the tag of Akron catcher
Sarah Stromack
scoring the Bobcats' first and only run.
In what might have been a game-saving play
Bonner was thrown out trying to advance to third base later in the play for the second out. No Bobcat reached third base the rest of the game against the Akron pitching duo of Andrea Arney and Heather Bauer.
Ohio tallied three more hits in the game. Saucedo went 2-for-3 and Hartsough continued her hot hitting with a single in the fourth.
The game proved to be a pitcher's dual from early on.
Emily Wethington started in the circle for the Bobcats.
Akron managed only two hits off Wethington and wasn't able to cross the plate until the fifth inning on a two-out RBI single by Earley. Unfortunately
Arney seemed to match Wethington pitch for pitch in her 6 1/3 innings in the circle
allowing one run on five hits.
Saucedo pitched the final three innings for the Bobcats and was equally as tough
