Sometimes all it takes to put a game out of reach is one swing of the bat.
Ohio's (19-31, 14-8 Mid-American Conference) first-round MAC Tournament matchup with Central Michigan (27-17, 12-8 MAC) played out well for the Bobcats until a fifth-inning grand slam gave the Chippewas a 5-3 lead they did not relinquish.
Fourth-seeded Ohio lost 9-5 to the fifth-seeded Chippewas yesterday at Firestone Stadium in Akron. The Bobcats will face Bowling Green at 11 a.m. today.
The grand slam began consecutive four-run innings for Central Michigan and stymied an otherwise solid effort by the Bobcats.
It's extremely frustrating
said coach Jodi Hermanek. Our offense was on the mark today. Everybody was the hardest out that they could possibly be. ... Up and down the lineup we put pressure on their defense.
Ohio's offense got off to a quick start when junior Paige Kemezis smacked a solo shot over the left field wall in the second at-bat of the game.
The Bobcats carried the 1-0 lead into the fourth inning. After the Chippewas tied the game with a sacrifice fly, Bobcat Emily Wethington responded by belting a solo shot of her own.
The homer, the junior's ninth of the season, broke Ohio's single-season home run record. Such displays of power were part of the reason the junior was named to the All-MAC First Team yesterday.
Shortstop Alexis Zambrana followed Wethington's blast with a two-out single to put Ohio up two runs.
The Bobcats took the 3-1 lead into the next inning, in the midst of what appeared to be another gem on the mound from junior Melissa Bonner. Her 1.77 earned run average in conference play garnered her All-MAC First Team honors as well.
But after the first batter doubled and the next reached base on an error by Zambrana, Hermanek replaced Bonner with senior Candace Saucedo. Saucedo walked the next batter and gave up the deadly long ball to left center field after.
The Bobcats head into this morning's game with the Falcons, whom they swept in a doubleheader on May 1, still confident in their offense.
We're going to have to do this the hard and long way but we can do it Hermanek said. Anybody can do it
and we have to step up and be that team.
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Sports
Nathaniel Maund
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Ohio's Shalene Petrich slides safely to second as Toledo's Sam Toy catches the ball at the Softball Complex during a game against Toledo April 30. The Bobcats came back and defeated Toledo at the bottom of the seventh inning 3-2. Their next game is Friday at Miami. (Erin Corneliussen | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
