April 28, 2017
Box Score
Game 1 Box Score (PDF) 
Game 2 Box Score (PDF)
<> Miami University’s softball team was unable to overcome dominating pitching and five home runs from Ohio University, dropping a doubleheader Friday evening at the Ohio Softball Field.
With the wins, the Bobcats (32-14, 13-7 MAC) moved ahead of the RedHawks (27-20, 12-8 MAC) for first place in the Mid-American Conference East Division.
Game 1 – Ohio 9, Miami 1 (6 inn.)
Ohio starter Savannah Jo Dorsey immediately set the tone in the top of the first, striking out two of the first three Miami batters she faced. In the bottom half, sophomore right fielder Natalie Alvarez put the Bobcats on the board with a two-out, three-run home run to center field.
In the second, junior third baseman Kat Lee picked up Miami’s lone hit of the game with a single to third, but a strikeout stranded her. Sophomore starter Shannon Hohman settled down for the next two innings before sophomore MacKenzie Brunswick extended the Ohio lead to 4-0 with a solo shot to center.
Senior center fielder Jenna Jones led off the fifth with a walk, eventually coming home to score on a throwing error in the next at-bat, narrowing the deficit to 4-1. Freshman right fielder Haeley Tran moved to second with the error, but was stranded at third with a strikeout. In the bottom half, back-to-back doubles added another run.
Miami’s last threat came in the top of the sixth as two RedHawks reached, but sophomore shortstop Michaela Schlattman was tagged out at third to end the chance. The Bobcats capitalized in their half, bringing the score to 7-1 with a two-run double to left-center. Later in the frame, a pair of RBI singles made the score, 9-1, sealing a run-rule victory for Ohio.
Dorsey’s strong performance stifled the Miami offense as the RedHawks struck out a season-high 13 times in the game. Hohman’s record evened to 6-6 with the loss as the righthander struck out three over 5.2 innings of work.
Game 2 – Ohio 10, Miami 4
The nightcap began promisingly for Miami as junior left fielder Kaitlyn Gliha homered to left-center, but Ohio would even the score with a RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first.
The Red and White responded with a sac fly from junior catcher Rylee Whispel in the second that brought home Schlattman to make it 2-1. However, the Bobcats tied the game in the bottom half as an error allowed for the lead runner to score from first base. Later in the inning, they took the lead for good with a two-run double to right-center, bringing the score to 4-2 and forcing Miami to relieve starter Jaime Scher with senior Carly Mortensen.
In the top of the third, junior first baseman Johniann Wahl narrowed the margin to 4-3 with a solo homer to center, tying the school single-season record with her 11th shot of the year. But once again, the Bobcats rebounded with two home runs that extended the lead to 7-3.
With the score now 8-3 in the bottom of the sixth, Alvarez struck again with her third home run of the day, a two-run dinger that made it 10-3. In the top of the seventh, Lee homered to left, but the RedHawks were unable to put any further rally together.
Gliha finished 2-for-3 with the home run, while Whispel went 1-for-2 with a RBI. With the loss, Scher’s record dropped to 5-5.
The RedHawks will look to finish the series on a positive note and tie the Bobcats for first place in the series finale Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. GameTracker updates will be available on MiamiRedHawks.com.
