After hosting the first-ever Ohio softball home run derby on Friday afternoon, it’s fitting that a home run was the deciding factor in each of Ohio’s two games this weekend.
The Bobcats (16-21, 5-5 Mid-American Conference) hosted Akron for two weekend games, which were as much of a contrast as each of the day’s weather forecast.
On Saturday afternoon, the Bobcats were forced to endure very poor, rainy conditions the entire game, but play was never delayed despite players having difficulty gripping the ball.
Ohio won 9-7, but the victory did not come with ease. The Bobcats held a 9-3 lead entering the seventh and final inning, but after multiple Akron base hits and an error by the Bobcats, the batter who would be the leading run reached the plate. But Ohio pitcher Lauren McClary re-entered the game to close out the win.
“We had some opportunities where we could have closed the door, but we were able to learn a lot,” Ohio coach Jodi Hermanek said. “It’s really hard to play in the weather, but both teams went through it, and we came out on top.”
The deciding factor of the game was a two-run homer off the bat of catcher Lauren Gellerman in the sixth inning. Gellerman belted the ball over the right field fence into the rain and wind.
Sunday’s game was a different story for Ohio, which lost 2-0. The Bobcats recorded only five hits in the game, which were also the team’s only base runners because the Zips surrendered no walks.
“I can’t take anything away from Akron,” Hermanek said. “We were not at our best, but Lauren McClary did everything she could, and offensively we just were not able to hit.”
McClary pitched a great game, including six strikeouts, but the Zips only needed two pitches to score their runs.
In the top of the sixth inning, Akron first baseman Alissa Birkhimer crushed a two-run home run over the left field fence just one pitch after teammate Alex Helfrich reached a base on a hit that ended a streak of six straight retired batters.
Home run heroes
The Bobcats had a little fun at the first-ever Ohio Softball Home Run Derby before taking on the Zips this weekend. More than 30 male and female student-athletes and coaches from six different Bobcat sports represented their teams in the event.
Advancing to the final round of competition was women’s soccer goalie Mattie Liston, men’s basketball player David McKinley, and Ohio strength and conditioning coach Zac Brouillette.
McKinley led off the round strong with 10 home runs, but Brouillette was able to top it and win the event with 11 bombs of his own.
“I don’t know of anything that we do as an athletic department that brings all the student athletes in one athletic venue together,” Hermanek said. “It’s nice that they can just kind of get to know each other and have fun with small competition that doesn’t mean a whole lot.”
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