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[Shane Scalfaro | WOUB]

Ohio sweeps Battle of the Bricks doubleheader with 3-1 win in game two

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — In game two of the doubleheader Friday afternoon, the Ohio Bobcats (30-12, 13-4 MAC) took down their arch-rival Miami (28-11, 15-6 MAC) 3-1 to complete the sweep of the twin bill and move into sole possession of the conference at Ohio Softball Field. 

This game was once again very close right from the start, with both teams struggling to get anything going on offense. Anna Wise turned in a masterful performance for Ohio, throwing a complete game against the RedHawks with six strikeouts and no walks allowed, with only one unearned run coming across to score in the fifth inning on an infield hit following an error by Ohio’s defense. The error was the lone blemish on the box score, with both teams showcasing their solid defense and keeping each other off the board through the first four innings. 

After Miami took the lead in the fifth, it looked like the Bobcats would have to be content with splitting the two-game set against Miami, until first baseman Brenna Farmer stepped up in the bottom of the frame with a runner on base and drilled an opposite-field two-run home run over the left-field fence to give the Bobcats the lead in dramatic fashion. Following a triple by pinch-hitter Mikie Lieving, who replaced shortstop Abby Kennelly in the sixth, Ohio got crucial insurance thanks to an RBI-double by third baseman Shelby Westler to increase their lead to 3-1.

Brenna Farmer making contact with the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the 5th inning vs Miami.
Brenna Farmer making contact with the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the 5th inning vs Miami. [Reece Merkel | WOUB Public Media]
From there, the Bobcats closed out Miami with relative ease to secure the win and improve their conference record to 13-4 on the season. Following the game, both Farmer and Westler reflected on the victory and their new position atop the MAC standings. 

“We knew we were facing a solid team with solid pitching. It was just about making adjustments later in the game,” Farmer said. “We know that we’re always getting the other team’s best. Everyone’s trying to beat us just like everyone’s trying to beat Miami. So, we need to show up as our best every day.” 

“That’s what solid games look like,” said Westler. “Two really good teams, but, you know, we came together. Pitching, defense, and offense, and we came out on top.” 

Ohio head coach Jenna Hall also talked about the team’s chemistry and concentration while facing one of the best teams in the entire conference.  

“We were in it, one through 21, all of them were invested,” Hall said after the game. “A lot of good talk in the dugout, a lot of good talk on the field about just focusing on what we were trying to accomplish. Miami’s a great team and they’re a winning program. They’re at the top, and it’s been a long road for us to try to get these wins, to steal some from them, and I think overall we played them on all sides of the ball.” 

With the wins, Ohio improves their record to 30-12 and will take on Miami on Saturday afternoon for a chance to sweep the three-game series. The finale will start at Noon from the Ohio Softball Field.