The road has been long and tough for Ohio during this spring season. This weekend was not any different for the Bobcats.
Ohio went 1-3 this weekend against Ball State and Miami in the Bobcats’ conference openers.
“We came back from a 10-day road trip from spring break and moved right into this, where we had a chance to play a mid-week game this week, and that got rained out,” coach Jodi Hermanek said. “I think that physically our bodies can use rest.”
In their double-header on Friday, the Bobcats lost to the Cardinals 7-6 in the first game of the day. Ball State shut down Ohio in a shortened game. Inclement weather ended the game in the fifth inning of the second game with Ohio falling 12-3.
Hermanek said that while Ohio may have lost both of the games, ultimately it is more beneficial to have back-to-back games like they do.
“It is kind of a bonus for the way our conference is set up for there to be, on the first day, a double-header and the second and third days, it is easier on both pitching staffs,” Hermanek said. “If you have a strong pitching staff, the double-headers are in your favor. We just have to make sure that we do a lot of rehab (with the pitchers) and keep them rested.”
On Saturday, Ohio and Miami stayed close in score all the way until the bottom of the eighth inning, when the Bobcats scored to win.
Shortstop Alexis Joseph began the rally with a single to left field and advanced by a fielder’s choice by left-fielder Paige Kamezis. Two more Bobcats were walked to load the bases, including designated player Melissa Bonner and cleanup hitter Emily Wethington.
“It is just about kind of bearing down in the clutch and coming through with some timely hitting, especially when we have two outs,” Hermanek said. “(And) we can do that.”
Sara Clark came up to the plate next, where she hit a line drive to left field, allowing Joseph to score. Ohio won 2-1.
But not all of the games had a positive ending like the first one against Miami.
The Bobcats lost in seven innings yesterday against the RedHawks.
“That is one thing, especially about softball, is that the same pitcher can throw against the exact same lineup and nothing is ever the same because you have a different umpire, the strike zone is different — there is a different way of getting things done,” Hermanek said. “And (yesterday was) just a different.”
Miami pulled ahead when it scored two runs in the top of the fourth inning, when designated player Taylor Rice singled and catcher Jenna McGivney followed with a home run to left field.
Ohio could not catch up to its visitors for the rest of the game. Leaving nine girls on base, including the bases loaded in the second inning, the Bobcats failed to take advantage of the many opportunities they were presented.
“We had a lot of innings and opportunities where we could’ve run them differently,” Hermanek said. “Timely hitting is what got Miami through (yesterday) and didn’t get us across.”
The RedHawks scored once again in the sixth inning to bring the final score to 3-0.
“I just really wanted the girls to keep pushing through,” Hermanek said. “So we just have to stay in our own groove and make sure that we don’t try to rush the situation. I think that is a little bit of what happened.”
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