Sports
Bobcat Bats lead the way in the MAC Tournament opener.
By: Joshua Hoerner
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AKRON, Ohio (WOUB) – Ohio Softball (37-18, 18-10) uses explosive third and fifth innings to bring home a 9-3 win over Central Michigan (24-23, 15-11).
Ohio Softball entered the MAC Tournament as the No. 4 seed, after a 36-18 regular season. Their first-round opponent in the tournament was the No. 5 seeded Central Michigan Chippewas.
Skipp Miller took the circle for Ohio. Miller entered the contest with a 3.77 ERA on the season thus far. She won her lone start against the Chippewas earlier this season.
However, the Chippewas bats heated up early. Angela Petrovitch started the game off with a triple, and she was driven in an at-bat later thanks to an Alexa Carter homerun.
Central Michigan’s bats would go quiet in the second inning, but woke back up in the third. Three singles added to their lead, the last RBI single from Grace Koenig.
Aubrey Strelow took the mound for the Chippewas; she entered the game with a 4.40 ERA on the season. Strelow made quick work of Ohio in the first two innings, allowing only one hit, and then the bats woke up.
A five-run third inning gave the Bobcats a 5-3 lead midway through the contest. Brenna Farmer delivered a bases-clearing triple to give her team the lead. Another run would be added after that.
That would be all the run support Miller would need. She shut down the Chippewas bats from there on out, going six and two-thirds innings, giving up three runs and striking out seven.
However, the Ohio offense would add to its lead. The Bobcats capitalized with the bases loaded again, this one a grand slam coming from Jordan Wycuff. Farmer and Wycuff combined for seven RBIs in the game. Wycuff was the lone Bobcat to have more than one hit; five players recorded hits.
The opening game of the tournament ended in a 9-3 victory for Ohio. Head Coach Jenna Hall highlighted Farmer’s performance after the game.
“She’s a calm, steady presence,” Hall said. “She’s such a leader. She is built for these moments. She lives for this stuff.”
Next up for the Bobcats is Akron on Thursday at 12 p.m. Ohio is 1-2 against the Zips this season.