After moving its overall record above the .500-mark last weekend, Ohio will also attempt to achieve a winning conference record with just two weekends of play remaining.
The Bobcats (23-22, 6-8 Mid-American Conference) are in the midst of a four-game winning streak and will play their final road games of the regular season against Western Michigan and Northern Illinois this weekend.
After sweeps of Wright State and Akron, a pair of Bobcats received the MAC’s weekly awards Monday. Freshman pitcher Savannah Jo Dorsey and senior designated hitter Chelsea Hortman were named the MAC East pitcher and player of the week, respectively.
Since Ohio ended a nine-game losing streak, Dorsey has been the Bobcats’ key to success from inside the circle. The freshman won both games against the Zips, as she pitched 14 2/3 innings and totaled 22 strikeouts.
Aside from Dorsey’s stellar pitching inside the circle, different Bobcats have stepped up in each of Ohio’s past four victories.
Hortman has been the most consistent, as she led the team with eight runs batted in and a pair of homers, as well as adding seven hits last week. She has provided a spark throughout offense slumps from other players in the lineup.
“Chelsea is just fired up and she wants to put the team on her back,” Hermanek said about Hortman last weekend. “I challenged her and said she needs to carry us as a (designated hitter) and she’s really given us some solid at-bats.”
Freshman shortstop Amanda Dalton has also helped spark the Bobcats, after going 3-for-3 in Ohio’s extra-inning win against Akron on Sunday. She drove in a pair of runs, including a sac fly in the eighth to clinch the victory for the Bobcats.
“After I got my first hit (of the series) my confidence went up,” Dalton said last weekend. “I just knew at that point to trust myself and trust my training heading into all of my at-bats.”
As Ohio continues to battle for positioning in the upcoming MAC Tournament, Hermanek is hopeful that different Bobcats continue to deliver when called upon. The Bobcats are currently in a three-way tie for the No. 7 seed in the MAC standings.
Western Michigan (13-25, 4-8 MAC) is in the midst of a four-game losing streak after being swept by Central Michigan and Kent State the past two weekends. However, the Broncos have won four of their past five meetings against the Bobcats.
Freshman Melissa Palmer leads Western Michigan at the dish with a team-high .346 batting average and 28 runs scored this season. The Broncos are averaging just three runs a game and have hit 13 home runs this season.
Ohio has hit a program-record 67 homers, which is just three shy of tying the MAC single-season record set by Ball State last season. The Bobcats are still averaging the sixth-most home runs per game in the NCAA.
After playing the doubleheader against Western Michigan on Friday, Ohio will travel to Northern Illinois (17-27, 7-7) for games both Saturday and Sunday. The Huskies have won six consecutive MAC games.
cl027410@ohiou.edu
