After getting shut out in the first game of a doubleheader against Ohio State on Wednesday, the Bobcats looked to be cruising to a game two victory, but could never land the knockout blow.
The Bobcats (19-17) led for virtually the entire second game, but for every time they scored the Buckeyes had an answer. Untimely errors cost the Bobcats, who were never able to put away the Buckeyes, similar to when they met a month ago.
Ohio State (19-18) took advantage of Ohio’s blunders to capture a 10-9 victory after an Amanda Dalton throwing error allowed the winning runner to score from second in the eighth.
The big blow came in the bottom of the seventh, after Ohio went ahead 9-5 in the top half. After two lead-off singles and an error to load the bases, Ohio State clean-up hitter Evelyn Carrillo hit a two-out grand slam to send the game into extra innings.
“Offensively, in the second game you can’t ask more going through their four pitchers,” coach Jodi Hermanek said. “That was our game to win; we made some errors in the wrong moments in the seventh. That’s not our kind of ball (game) and we’ll have to correct that.”
Ohio used back-to-back home runs from junior right fielder Adrienne Gebele and sophomore pitcher Savannah Jo Dorsey to jump out to their early 2-0 lead, but Ohio State answered with three runs in the bottom half; the Bobcats used the longball to take the lead back.
Another pair of bombs from senior first baseman Alexandria Basquez and freshman catcher Madison Claytor put the Bobcats up 5-3. Ohio took advantage of four straight walks from the Buckeye’s senior pitcher Melanie Nichols to tack three runs onto their lead.
Once again, Ohio State refused to go away quietly as they scored twice in the bottom part of the fifth to put them right back into the game, 8-5.
“We need to make sure we have mental endurance all the way through to the end of the game,” coach Hermanek said. “We were the dominate team through six and a half innings there and we just let it get away.”
In the first game, Ohio State junior pitcher Olivia O’Reilly shut down the Bobcats’ offense holding them to only three hits. Despite a high pitch count, O’Reilly was able to get it done when it mattered most to blank the Bobcats 6-0.
The Buckeyes scored three runners in the third and threatened to score more before junior Lauren McClary replaced Bachman in the circle.
Ohio State allowed O’Reilly the run support she needed to shut out Ohio. The Buckeyes added to their lead in the sixth inning when junior center fielder Taylor Watkins blasted a three-run homer to seal the victory. Watkins went 4 for 4 in the ball game with three RBIs and two runs scored.
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