Sports
Softball: Ohio Defeats Northern Illinois Twice in Doubleheader Showdown
By: Alex Marcheschi, Brett Carroll
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Ohio (18-23, 7-5 MAC) defeated Northern Illinois (18-26, 6-8 MAC) twice on Friday in a doubleheader showdown. The Bobcats defeated NIU 4-1 in the first game and 9-3 in the second game.
The Bobcats routed the Huskies of Northern Illinois 9-3 after great performances by pitcher Lauren McClary in both of the day’s games.
Ohio catcher Laura Gellerman was three for four with all of her hits being doubles in the second game. None of those hits however, were bigger than her two run double in the third inning of game two to blow the game open for the Bobcats, giving them a 3-0 lead at the time.
“I was really comfortable today and I felt like I could always make contact with the ball,” Gellerman said. “I felt good about it.”
After pitching a complete game in the first game of the double header, pitcher Lauren McClary came out in the second game on fire, pitching six strong innings and only giving up two hits.
“I feel like I hit my spots really well today.” She said. “I was able to keep them off balanced which was good.”
When asked about her preparation for the double header, she replied, “I took it as if it was a brand new game on a new day.”
Coach Jodi Hermanek had nothing but high praises for her team today after they dominated the conference rival. “It felt really good to come out here against a team that was .500 in the MAC like we are," she said. "The win was so needed.”
Coach Hermanek also had a lot to say about her pitcher’s stellar performance. “McClary really turned to the corner that last few outings and I was really proud of her effort today. She bit the bullet and played both games and played both games well,” she said.
In the first game, McClary pitched a complete game for the Bobcats, recording nine strike outs and allowing only five hits in the game.
Most of Ohio’s damage in game one was done with one swing of the bat. Ohio’s designated hitter Jenna Giusti went deep on a three run homer in the bottom of the second inning.
Lauren Gellerman was responsible for Ohio’s fourth run of the game, she batted in Alexis Joseph, but was thrown out at second base as she tried to get a double out of the hit.
Northern Illinois’ only run of the first game came off of a Shelby Miller RBI as she batted in Nicole Gremillion.
The Bobcats moved to 18-23 with the two wins and will be playing Western Michigan on Saturday.