Ohio (19-9, 2-1 MAC) prepares to rematch Kentucky in a Tuesday double-header.
Coach Jodi Hermanek is ready for a rematch against Kentucky, and she plans to beat the Wildcats with strong offense.
“We were able to do that last year,” Hermanek said. “Even though we took the losses, we took them in late innings and we were leading the board against them.
“As long as these kids don’t flinch, it’s going to be a character building game.”
In the first two games of the three-game series last year, Ohio had quick offense.
It scored in the first inning and took an early 2-1 lead, before surrendering the lead late in the game. In the second game Ohio did the same and put up four runs early in the game before falling 6-4.
This past weekend, Ohio showed it can score early.
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In Friday's game against Western Michigan, Ohio went up two runs in the first inning and in game three, it scored its only two runs of the game in the first inning.
Hermanek wants that same determination Tuesday.
And if Amanda Dalton is healthy enough to play, Dalton will be key in making sure Hermanek is satisfied with quick offense.
In game three against Western Michigan, Dalton, went 3-for-3, stole four bases and scored the first run of the game. Keeping Dalton high in the lineup will be best for Ohio because she has shown that she can get on base and put herself and the team in scoring position.
But the difference in Tuesday’s game will not be just the offense, but pitching as well.
Savannah Jo Dorsey took her redshirt year and didn't play in the Kentucky series last year.
Hermanek will have her Dorsey for the game against Kentucky this year.
The last time Dorsey met with Kentucky was the NCAA Regional Tournament game two years ago. As far as preparation, she said it’s going to be a lot of visualization. She’s looking forward to getting another chance at Kentucky.
“I feel like they kind of barely got out of our grasp,” Dorsey said. “So I think it will definitely be a good game on Tuesday.”
For now, it’s just a few days of preparation for Ohio as it gets ready to bring national competition to Athens. The first game is at 3 p.m. and the second game will begin about 30 minutes after the first.
“I think it’s going to be an awesome experience for not only us but this University to host such a high ranking team,” Hermanek said.
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