Sports
Despite Only Two Hits, Ohio Outlasts SSU 3-2
By: Kaleb Carter
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Small-ball helped Ohio seize the day.
The Bobcats, perhaps still feeling a bit of lag after having their travel arrangements switched to Jacksonville for the Osprey Invitational, struggled for six innings to get much of anything at all going offensively.
A sacrifice fly in the eighth from Alexandria Basquez, however, plated the deciding run for Ohio as it captured a 3-2 victory over Savannah State.
Ohio found a way to score late, even when it could not string together consecutive hits all game. Sacrifice bunts, sacrifice flies and solid pitching helped Ohio to win its fifth game in a row to start the season, the first time the program has done so since 1981.
After a Tigers run in the top of the seventh, Ohio trailed 2-1 heading into the bottom of the frame.
Dakota Pyles led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Alyssa Wolfe, and then to third on a wild pitch. Amanda Dalton followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Pyles and sending the game to extras.
Raven King reached second to start the eighth, and senior Erin Lashley came on to run for her. A Casie Hutchinson ground ball to the first baseman resulted in an error that moved Lashley to third. In clutch fashion, the senior, Basquez, stepped to the plate, and hit a fly ball to right field, far enough to score Lashley and secure a 3-2 win.
Ohio struggled to get scoring chances all day, only collecting two hits on the afternoon. The Bobcats scored in the third without even getting a hit, as Dalton walked and then scored after a throwing error on a ball put in play by King.
Lauren McClary went seven strong innings on the mound for Ohio while only allowing two runs, one earned.
Savannah Jo Dorsey came on in the eighth inning to earn the victory, her fourth in the team’s five wins.
The Tigers’ starter Amanda McDowell turned in a strong performance but was done in by her defense’s miscues.