Softball: Bobcats open their season at the 2020 Buzz Classic

Ohio opened its 2020 season in Atlanta as it traveled to Georgia Tech for the 2020 Buzz Classic. The Bobcats finished the weekend winless and lost all five of their games against some tough competition, including the No. 1-ranked Washington.

Coming off a 2019 season that ended with a loss in the Mid-American Conference Championship and graduated six seniors, the Bobcats enter the 2020 season hoping to continue their success while also developing some of the younger players on the team.

Here’s a recap of the weekend for the Bobcats:

Friday: Games 1 and 2

Friday was the Katie Yun show for the Bobcats’ offense.

First, in Ohio’s 4-2 loss to UAB, the junior shortstop sent a ball over the fence in her first at-bat of the season and gave the Bobcats a 2-0 lead over the Blazers in the first inning.

Those would be the only runs Ohio could muster in game one, but Yun did finish 2-for-3 with two RBIs. The Bobcats’ leadoff hitter, Allie Englant, also finished 2-for-3, with her and Yun accounting for four of Ohio’s five hits in the game.

Yun once again sparked Ohio’s in its 10-2 loss to top-ranked Washington. In the third inning, Yun smacked a two-out double to center field that drove in Allie Englant and tied the score 1-1. Following Yun’s double, freshman Molly Troutman recorded her first career hit and drove in Yun with a double to give Ohio a 2-1 lead in the beginning of the third inning.

In the bottom half of the third, however, the Huskies responded with six runs to take a commanding 7-2 lead before adding three more in the sixth to give Ohio a 10-2 loss.

Saturday: Game 3

Despite losing another 10-2 loss on the weekend, Ohio’s game against Furman created another milestone first for Bobcat freshmen.

Down 3-0 in the top of the second, freshman Alexis Dawe got her first career hit with a double to right center field. Dawe was driven in by fellow freshman Sophia Bernard, who smacked her first career home run and made it a 3-2 game until the fourth inning.

Ohio’s offense, however, could not muster any more runs and the Furman offense kept rolling as the game went along, scoring 10 runs in five innings and sending Ohio to 0-3 on the weekend.

Sunday: Games 4 and 5

The Bobcats ended their weekend in Atlanta with their best chance to come away with a victory.

Following a 7-2 loss to UAB, the Bobcats looked to be on the road to another loss to host Georgia Tech.

Down 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Ohio attempted to make the comeback that started with an RBI double by sophomore Caroline Spacek. After a sacrifice fly by Ava Heidorn, Englant drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch, and the Bobcats were in perfect position to add to their score.

The Yellow Jackets, however, shut down the Bobcats’ comeback efforts and held on in the final two innings to send Ohio out of Georgia Tech without a win.