Sports
UMass, Louisville Hand Ohio Two Losses At Red And Black Classic
By: Kellen Becoats
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Game One: After leading for much of the game, the Bobcats once again fell asleep in the fifth inning and allowed UMass to grab three runs that proved decisive as the Minutemen took the game 4-3 in Ohio’s third game of the Red and Black Classic.
Lauren McClary had been pitching well for Ohio (13-10) all afternoon, but, as events have unfolded often this season, things fell apart late.
The name on every Bobcat’s mind after Saturday morning will be Taylor Carbone.
The sophomore from Hudson, N.H., was directly responsible for each of the Minutemen’s four runs, smacking a solo homer past the fence in the fourth inning and then coming back for more in the fifth by slugging another into the seats. Carbone finished with four RBIs.
Ohio seemed to be coasting through the game despite Carbone’s bombers, going up on a Madison Claytor double that brought Adrienne Gebele across home plate in the second inning. The Bobcats then tripled their lead in the third as Alexandria Basquez and Alexia Cortez scored two unearned runs.
Ohio took its foot off the gas and UMass (2-5) immediately capitalized, scoring four runs in the next two innings that ultimately put the game out of the Bobcats’ reach.
A major difference late in the game was the Minutemen’s pitcher Caroline Raymond.
After giving up three runs, the senior hit her stride, giving up only a couple more hits and, after taking the lead, saw that Ohio didn’t reach a base for the remainder of the game.
Game Two: Although Ohio had a fantastic start to the game, host Louisville used a massive six-run fifth inning to undo the Bobcats and hand them their third straight loss, 11-4, in the Red and Black Classic on Saturday evening.
The two sides went into the fifth inning tied at four but the Cardinals (10-6) were preparing to pounce. Louisville punished Ohio (13-11) by getting a series of non-stop hits, seven singles to be exact, that kept runners on base and brought six pairs of cleats home to effectively put the game out of reach for the ‘Cats.
As if that weren’t enough, the Cardinals would add another run in the bottom of the sixth to add insult to injury and seal Ohio’s tenth loss of the season. The game ended with the teams separated by seven runs, but the start wasn’t indicative of the ending.
Ohio exploded into the first as the Bobcats brought Alexandria Basquez, Alexia Cortez and Casie Hutchinson across home plate before the inning was up.
Louisville would make them pay, scoring four in the third inning to take their first lead of the game 4-3.
Ohio equalized off an Alyssa Wolfe single to left field that brought Madison Claytor home but the Cardinals, once again, weren’t done punishing the Bobcats’ defense, scoring six unanswered runs that gave Ohio its third loss of the Classic.