Sports
Ohio Drops Pair of Games in Texas Tech Invitational
By: Rob Ellerhorst
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Given a chance to redeem themselves from losing day one, the Bobcats struggled to find their way back on the winning path, losing both games of the Friday doubleheader to Stephen F. Austin, 3-1, and Texas Tech, 7-5.
Game one saw a quiet afternoon of offense for Ohio and SFA.
The Bobcats’ pitching duo of Danielle Steine and Savannah Jo Dorsey and the Ladyjacks’ Callee Guffey surrendered just four hits each.
The game remained tied at zero going into the fifth inning. With one out, SFA’s Annie Mehringer walked and Taylor LeFlore singled to set up Autumn Holloway for her big three-run home run that put the Ladyjacks’ up 3-0.
The closest Ohio got was its response in the following inning. Michaela Dorsey reached on an error by the shortstop, advanced to second on a groundout, moved to third on a single by Alex Day, and finally crossed home on a sac fly from Casie Hutchinson, making the score 3-1.
The offensive momentum didn’t last long for Ohio, as it went down quietly in the seventh to end the game on the wrong side of a 3-1 score. SFA’s Guffey went the distance, with a single walk and strikeout to show for it.
Game two against the Texas Tech Red Raiders began on with a first inning home run from Kierra Miles to put Ohio in an early 1-0 hole.
The following two innings did not look much better for Ohio. Brooke Scott belted a two-run blast over the center field for her second home run of the day, and Kristen Schwirtlich’s three-run home run of her own in the third added on to the lead. With doubles from Miles and Jordan Bettiol in the fourth, the score was 7-0 Texas Tech.
The Bobcats refused to go away quietly. In the bottom half of the fourth, pinch hitter MacKenzie Brunswick led off with a single, and Hutchinson followed with a single through the right side. Then Madison Claytor sent one over the left field fence to make the score 7-3.
Claytor wasn’t done with her career day at the dish. She followed her first home run with another one in the sixth, trimming the deficit to 7-5. Claytor finished her day with two home runs in 3 at bats, five runs batted in, and five put outs from her position as catcher.
The offense remained dead outside of Claytor. The final score was 7-5, giving Ohio its third straight loss of the tournament.
Matched up against UTSA and Texas Tech again, the Bobcats will try to salvage what they have left of the tournament and have a strong finish to their long trip down south.