Sports
Ohio Softball stunned by Toledo in doubleheader sweep Saturday
By: Shane Scalfaro
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — After their first game of the series on Friday, the Ohio Bobcats (26-12, 9-4 MAC) and the Toledo Rockets (12-23, 5-9 MAC) met again for a doubleheader. Toledo would get the best of Ohio in both games, winning game one 8-5 and game two 4-0.
Game one started off slow as both Bobcats’ pitcher Anna Wise and Rockets’ pitcher Kylee Graham held the opposing offenses scoreless through two innings. Toledo would be the first team to strike in the third inning, as Audrey Miller would get walked, sending Eli Enriquez home and giving the Rockets their first lead.
After this, Anna Wise was taken out of the game and replaced by Ohio’s pitcher Skipp Miller. Miller would hold Toledo scoreless until later in the game. In the process, Miller would throw her 350th career strikeout in the fifth inning.
The Bobcats’ offense would find a spark in the bottom of the sixth. Shelby Westler would hit a home run into left field and tie the game. Neither team would score in the remaining innings, sending the game into extra innings.
The eighth inning is where the Rockets took over the game. Toledo hit four runs for a combined seven runs, bringing the score to 8-1. Ohio’s Anna Wise would re-enter the game to close out the inning.
With the game on the line and two outs on the board, the Bobcats would tack on another run by CiCi Keidel. Maddie Wilcox would then come in and hit a home run, marking her second of the series so far. The homer would send three total Bobcats home, but that is where the scoring would end. The Rockets took game one, 8-5.
The start of game two was very similar to game one. With Ohio pitcher Mikie Lieving and Toldeo pitcher Sophia Knight would pitch two straight innings with no scores. This changed in the third inning, as the Rockets’ Kendra VanderLugt would send Eli Enriquez and Maggie Roh home, giving Toledo a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the fifth inning, the Bobcats would get a sense of deja vu. Kendra VanderLugt would once again send Eli Enriquez home to extend the Rockets’ lead. Ohio’s offense would stay cold and were unable to get points on the board.
The sixth inning would see Toledo’s Samantha Bolding score, sealing the game for the Rockets, 4-0. This marks the first time Ohio has been held scoreless in a game all season.
After the game, Ohio head coach Jenna Hall spoke about moving forward after their losses.
“We just have to go back to work,” said Hall. “That’s the thing about our game. We play so many games that we don’t have the time to sit on this. You have to learn, figure it out, and then not dwell on it.”
Toledo will look to continue their winning streak against the Central Michigan Chippewas (19-18, 11-4 MAC) on Tuesday, April 15th. Ohio travels to Bowling Green to take on the Falcons (15-25, 7-9 MAC), looking to get back in the win column. That game is also on Tuesday, April 15th.