Sports
Ohio Softball slams Northern Illinois in second round of MAC Tournament
By: Lindsey Crawford
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AKRON, Ohio (WOUB) — With regular season play coming to a close, the Ohio Bobcats traveled north to Akron, Ohio, to compete in the 2025 MAC Tournament. After two disappointing losses in Kalamazoo last weekend, the ladies took to the field with a fire that was going to be hard to put out.
Being seeded second in the tournament, the Bobcats received a bye. The sixth-seeded NIU Huskies would narrowly beat Central Michigan (6-5) to make their way to the next round of the tournament to play Ohio.
In the game, the Bobcats’ defense was strong, with Skipp Miller leading the team’s pitching staff. For two innings, Ohio and Northern Illinois would go back and forth, with neither team being able to put runs up on the scoreboard. However, Ohio’s luck would change as Brenna Farmer would homer to center field, giving the Bobcats the start they needed.
From there, Collen Bare would match Farmer in the fifth, flying a ball over the right field fence, sending herself around the bases and adding another run to Ohio.
The sixth inning was when things truly started going right for the Bobcats. To start, CiCi Keidel would bunt a single, advancing Belle Hummel to third, and after a throwing error, Hummel would gun for home plate, giving the Bobcats a 3-0 lead. From there, Izzie Wilson would step up to the plate, doubling to left field, and sending home both Mikie Leiving and CiCi Keidel.
Coach Jenna Hall commented on Wilson’s success.
“Izzie’s been hitting the ball really well over these last few weeks,” says Hall. “ I know it hasn’t statistically shown up, but she has been on it. She’s really confident right now, and it was great to see her come through for the team.”
Also in the sixth, Shelby Westler would single up the middle, allowing not one, but two Bobcats to score. This would bring the lead up to 7-0 and would inevitably close out the matchup with an Ohio win.
Today, the Bobcats look to face the first-seeded rival Miami. After sweeping the RedHawks earlier in the spring, Ohio Coach Jenna Hall explains the mindset going into today’s game.
“Winning the series when we played them was great during the seasons, but we’re here now, and how do we stay here now? Take the information that we know, take the confidence from today, just the good softball we’ve been playing, we implement it tomorrow, and just take it one pitch at a time,” says Hall.
The game begins today at 12 p.m., and the winner will go on to play in the championship game tomorrow at 1 p.m.