In its weekend series against Bowling Green, Ohio was able to squeeze through two games with late-inning big plays. In both the first and last games, the Falcons were able to keep the score dangerously close for a team that is toward the bottom of the MAC, but batting has been a huge part of Ohio’s success.
This week alone had huge performances from some of Ohio’s players. Senior infielder Shelby Westler had 19 RBIs, contributing lots of points to power Ohio’s offense. Westler also hit a home run in the last game that got senior infielder Colleen Bare onto home plate. She also had a huge 3-RBI play, which was also the play that almost guaranteed the win for Ohio.
“I think that the confidence in each other and not having fear in those big moments is what leads to those big moments in games for sure,” Westler said.
Belle Hummel hit a grand slam in the first game against Bowling Green to secure the game and kill any momentum from the Falcons, as they trailed closely. She continued her amazing season this weekend, as she is now batting .476 on the season, an increase from the Miami series.
“Belle is just a force,” Ohio head coach Jenna Hall said. “Anytime you start off a game with a hitter that is batting above .450, I feel pretty good as a team and coaching staff. It’s been a joy to watch her lead this team the way she has this year, (and) she’s worked really hard for it.”
Even players who do not usually start made an impact for the Bobcats, as sophomore infielder Sydney Young received her first start, and to thank Coach Jenna Hall, she launched a home run, which were the first points in the game for Ohio.
Lots of these offensive plays happened in late innings for the Bobcats, who made a name for themselves this week as having some of the best late-inning play in the MAC. Even against Miami, Ohio had late-inning comebacks to secure wins, but against Bowling Green, those late innings helped it pull away.
“It’s the belief that one of them can step up at any time,” Hall said. “I think they believe in each other that much. They’re being really intelligent hitters right now.”
In the first game, with Bowling Green down by a single run in the bottom of the fifth inning, Ohio hit 3 separate home runs to put the Falcons down for the game. A similar scenario happened in the final game, as both teams were tied going into the bottom of the fourth inning. Ohio managed to score 8 unanswered runs, with Westler having 5 RBIs alone in the fifth and sixth innings. These resulted in a six-inning game for Ohio, putting an exclamation point on the weekend.
“It’s just staying in it until the end,” Westler said. “We’re a couple of runs away from getting home early. It’s staying engaged and staying focused and being in that moment for my team.”
Big plays didn’t just come from Ohio, though, as graduate pitcher Skipp Miller lit up opposing batters in the two games she started in. In the first game against Bowling Green, Miller had 5 strikeouts, and in the third game, she also contributed 7 more, giving her a weekend total of 12. Miller now has 85 strikeouts on the season, which ranks fourth in the MAC. She also has 15 wins credited to her as the pitcher, leading the MAC.
Fielding also played a huge part in securing two games in the series. Ohio only committed one error, and it showed, as in both the first and last game, Ohio completely stopped batters from reaching bases in the late innings.
“We focus a lot on defensive practice,” Westler said. “We’re a big defensive team, and we don’t just make the routine. We make the big plays, and we’re not afraid to sell out big moments.”
This trend has been good for the Bobcats, as they look to close out the season strong and send a message to the other MAC teams that they will be a formidable foe in the conference tournament.
