In softball, like in baseball, there is only one constant: scoring more runs than an opponent will guarantee victory.
In Ohio’s 13-3 victory over Ball State, the offensive explosion led the way as it extended its season-long win streak to seven games.
An eight-run second inning punctuated the incredible offensive output for the Bobcats. The inning included seven hits, two of them extra bases, and three walks. The Bobcats even scored on a groundout in the inning.
The third inning included fewer runs, but they were far louder.
Ohio got another crooked number on the scoreboard by way of back-to-back home runs from Yasmine Logan and Annalia Paoli. Logan’s home run was a majestic blast to right field, where it actually hit a bus in the parking lot. Paoli welcomed Ball State reliever Alyssa Stramaglia by taking her first pitch to straightaway center field that left the stadium with astounding quickness.
“Up at the plate, we just trusted ourselves,” Logan said. “We knew what (Russo) threw and we just sat on those pitches. Two-out rallies are the best and we just kept hitting the ball.”
Coach Jenna Hall was equally impressed with her team’s offensive performance in the second inning.
“That (inning) was just about executing our jobs,” Hall said. “Each individual hitter has their plan and it’s making sure we stick to it and not trying to do too much. I think we are at our best when we work together and string hits together; not so much home run after home run. Don’t get me wrong, I love them, but we’re really good when we work single-to-single, double-to-double.”
In the next frame, Logan’s impactful grand slam opened the floodgates once again for Ohio after it looked like Ball State might find its way back into the game.
“I was just looking for a single, honestly,” Logan said. “I like high pitches. I knew there was going to be a high pitch and I just hit it far.”
The offensive attack also works to Ohio’s advantage when it comes to Sunday’s doubleheader. Ball State was forced to use three pitchers, an abnormality for college softball. For reference, Ohio has only had four pitchers appear in a game this season while Ball State has only used six pitchers all year. Forcing an opponent into using more arms than necessary works in Ohio’s favor as it gets to see more of Ball State’s pitchers and potentially tire them out, which could help Ohio tremendously on Sunday.
Regardless, the offensive explosion for Ohio is something to celebrate. The weather has been cold recently, but the bats have been very hot for Ohio. During its seven-game win streak, Ohio has averaged 8.7 runs per game.
All things considered, the offensive outputs should not come as too much of a surprise as Hall has and extensive history of working with offenses, especially in her previous job at Pitt. Hall’s calling card might be her ability to elevate an offense with her ability to guide approaches at the plate. When it comes to the remainder of the season for Ohio, having a truly dominant offense will be key in bringing the first MAC Championship back to Athens since 2018.
