Ohio (20-8 overall, 3-0 Mid-American Conference) opened its conference schedule with a doubleheader Friday against Buffalo (5-20 overall, 2-4 MAC). The Bobcats were oppressive, winning both games by a combined score of 18-0.
The MAC’s preseason No. 1 team started the season well in non-conference play and looks to keep the good play going after trouncing their first MAC opponent.
Game One
Freshman lefty Anna Wise got the start for the first game of the doubleheader and wasted no time getting to work, sitting down the first three Buffalo hitters with ease after two groundouts and a strikeout to end the inning.
All it took was one inning of work for Ohio’s explosive offense to blow the game wide open as the Bobcats brought home a whopping 8 runs in the first inning.
What makes Ohio’s wild inning even more impressive is the fact that it started with leadoff hitter Lauren Yuhas popping out, giving Buffalo’s defense a quick out.
It would take the Bulls a long time to get another out, as the scoring rampage started shortly after Yuhas’ pop cly, with CiCi Keidel and Brenna Farmer each getting singles to set the table for an Emma Hoffner single that brought home Keidel.
The very next at-bat was for Maddie Wilcox, who nearly brought everyone home with a two-RBI double off the center field fence that was only a few feet away from being a home run.
Ohio would go on to score 2 more runs before Buffalo made a pitching change with just one out in the first inning, bringing in Emily Watters for Olivia Russ.
Watters was able to get out of the inning but not before allowing Ohio to have another 3 runs, giving the Bobcats an 8-0 lead after the first inning. The first-inning lead of 8-0 was enough for a run rule if Ohio was able to keep it, and that is exactly what they did as Wise allowed just three more Buffalo hits on the day and was able to end the game in five innings.
“I’d say it's a big relief knowing that (the offense) can put up runs like that,” Wise said. “It takes a lot of pressure off.”
Game Two
Just 30 minutes after game one ended, the two teams were back on the field, and this time it was Miller in the circle for the Bobcats.
Miller allowed two baserunners early in the first, but she was able to get out of the inning without any damage.
The runs for Ohio in the second game were much more spread out, but the team was able to get on the board first after a wild play that saw Yuhas score from first after a series of errors.
Miller followed up the offense’s opening run with a quick one-two-three inning that included her second strikeout of the game. The offense for the Bobcats came alive in the second inning as well, as freshman Sydney Young hit her first career home run to put Ohio up 3-0.
“I mean, we've got enough in our lineup, and then also a lot coming off the bench,” Ohio head coach Jenna Hall said. “(Young) has been doing really well with her pinch hits. She's been ready.”
Brenna Farmer tacked on another run with a two-RBI single before the inning ended, giving the ball back to Miller, who had another quick scoreless inning to protect Ohio’s 5-0 lead. Belle Hummel and Yuhas added two more runs with RBI singles to put the Bobcats back in striking distance of the run rule.
In the fourth inning, Miller walked two Buffalo batters but didn’t give up a hit, keeping her shutout and making way for 3 more Ohio runs from the offense. The highlight of the 3 runs was pinch hitter Colleen Bare’s first home run for Ohio, a solo shot over the left-field fence.
That was the nail in the coffin for Buffalo; the team wasn’t able to score before the game ended in just five innings once again, this time with 10-0 projected on the scoreboard.
