Ohio (22-12, 5-4 Mid-American Conference) defeated Central Michigan with a score of 12-7. Ohio took the series with this win, as both teams had won a single game previously. What powered the Bobcats' win was their electric first inning, in which 6 runs were scored.
The top of the first went as well as it could for the Bobcats. After graduate student pitcher Skipp Miller walked the first batter for Central Michigan, not much was allowed to happen after. The next two batters both hit towards right field, where Ohio’s fielders quickly got them out.
The final out was a pop-up that was caught, which was much needed as the previously walked Central Michigan player was sitting on third.
“Anytime you can get into the bottom of the first with a zero on the board for the visiting team, it's good, it's good to set the tone defensively,” Ohio head coach Jenna Hall said. “We just made some really good plays up the middle today, too.”
Ohio batters started strong during the bottom of the first, with senior outfielder Belle Hummel hitting a ball perfectly to midfield to grab a spot at first base. Hummel also was able to steal a base right after, as Central Michigan’s catcher couldn’t wrangle in a wild pitch from Brooklyn Compau.
Ohio got another big hit from senior infielder Brenna Farmer, who loaded up the bases. A pop fly from junior outfielder Izzie Wilson also allowed a noble sacrifice. Wilson got out, but a home run and another hit from sophomore catcher Jordan Wycuff sent Farmer and Colleen Bare home, giving the Bobcats a commanding 3-0 lead.
“We were going pitch by pitch,” Bare said. “Definitely going in with the aggressive mindset, we wanted to dominate in the boxes as a whole.”
That big hit was quickly followed up with a bomb from sophomore infielder Sydney Young, sending her and Wycuff home up the lead to 5-0 now. Central Michigan was getting into a hole quickly. That home run was quickly followed up with another Bobcat home run, this time from graduate student infielder Rylee McDaniel. Central Michigan finally got a break with an out and started the top of the second at bat.
“You just swing the bat, and you hope for the best,” Hall said. “You can’t really control what happens after that. For us to come out and have a plan and stick to it, they were just free swinging today.”
The top of the second started to look like a disaster for the Chippewas, with Miller instantly striking out two batters, but a home run from Alexa Carter ignited some hope in a team now down by five. The flame was instantly fanned out, though, as a pop fly gave Ohio the third out it needed to go to bat.
Ohio continued to put on a show, as Bare hit a home run to send Hummel home, also upping the score to 8-1.
Ohio’s sloppy fielding started to show a bit in the top of the third with a few bases getting stolen by the Chippewas and some errors happening. This allowed Central Michigan to get the bases loaded with only one out, putting the Bobcats in a perilous position. A hit allowed London Williams to walk right into home plate and keep the bases loaded, and another run shortly came after for the Chippewas.
Both of these runs from the Chippewas caused a pitching change for the Bobcats, as Miller went into the dugout and senior pitcher Keegan Moore stepped into the game. The pitching still didn’t fare better, as another walk happened, leading to a run for Central Michigan as the bases were loaded.
Ohio finally got the two outs it needed and went up to bat. The bottom of the third didn’t last long, as Ohio’s batters all got out quickly. After a dominant batting showcase in the first inning, the Chippewas seemed to have adapted, and the pitching was lights out.
Ohio quickly shut down the Chippewas with some quick outs, and not a single hit by Central Michigan.
After the first batter struck out, Farmer would step up to the plate and launch a home run down the middle of the field, with runs for Bare and Farmer. Senior infielder Shelby Westler would quickly get out after Wilson hit a ball that was caught by Central Michigan’s catcher to end the fourth inning.
“I actually got a hit and run from coach Hall that I missed,” Farmer said. “I saw her upset that I missed the call, so then I stepped out and saw the call and got back and hit it.”
The top of the fifth was another clean inning for Ohio, as two strikeouts from Moore allowed another no-hitter. After a struggle in the top of the third, the Bobcats were back in action, seemingly having another spark of energy. That energy didn’t last long for the batters, though, as Central Michigan stood strong and didn’t allow any points.
Central Michigan once again started to creep back up on the Bobcats with a run from Ashley Bila, but Westler sent shots right back, hitting another home run for Ohio to also bring freshman outfielder Sena Smith home with her. This put Central Michigan in a position to score 7 runs in the top of the seventh inning to continue the game, something that it wasn’t equipped to do. The Chippewas only managed 2 more runs, and the game was over, with Ohio securing the victory.
