Sports
Ohio Softball: Brunswick’s Big Return Helps Earn ‘Cats a Split with NIU
By: Michael Roth
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Mackenzie Brunswick hasn’t stepped in the batter’s box since February 10th, that was until today when on her first plate appearance since then, the senior blasted a grand slam.
“You obviously can’t expect a grand slam the first time back up,” Ohio coach Kenzie Roark said.
Her success didn’t end there, Brunswick had 9 RBI’s on the day and was almost unstoppable in the batter’s box.
“I’m just happy to be back out there and be able to come through for my team,” Brunswick said.
This success Brunswick has was surprising given the degree of hitting she put on, but early success back doesn’t surprise those within the program.
“Even though she was injured she was never out of the game,” Coach Roark said. “She was the first one up to pinch run and was very in with all our contests. She was out for a while but I didn’t feel she would skip a beat.”
After Brunswick got the Bobcats back in the lead, Madi McCrady locked in and fanned nine Husky batters en route to another complete game and a victory on the mound.
“I tell them ‘give me something to work with’ and they always come back with it,” McCrady said. “It’s huge out there for any pitcher to have that safety net behind you.”
Morgan Geno continued her success at the plate, the game after breaking the career RBI record with a two-run home run that cleared the batting cage behind left field.
After Natalie Alvarez and Sam Schmidt both had RBI’s to make it 10-3 after the top of the fourth inning.
Ohio needed one run to be able to use the five-inning run rule and they got that run when Charlee Pond hit a home run to make the score 11-3.
In the second game of the day Ohio got off to a fast start thanks to who else but Brunswick. She hit a bases-clearing double but was thrown out trying to advance to third.
Natalie Alvarez hit a sac fly to drive in Allie Englant but that was the last Ohio scored for the day.
Jenny Van Geerty brought the Huskies back in the game when she hit a two-run home run off of Mackenzie Kohl.
Ohio held on to a 4-2 lead heading into the 6th inning but was unable to keep the lead because Schmidt hit a softball over the left field fence with two runners on base to give Northern Illinois their first lead of the second game of the doubleheader.
Ohio then got runners on base in both the 6th and 7th inning but was unable to score a run to force extra innings and lost their perfect MAC and home record in the process.