Ohio (30-12, 13-4 Mid-American Conference) beat Miami (26-21, 15-6 MAC) in both games of a Friday doubleheader with a 2-0 score in the first and a 3-1 score in the second game. With both wins over Miami, Ohio moves to the first-place team in the MAC and bumps Miami down to third place.
“Everyone’s trying to beat us, just like everyone is trying to beat Miami," sophomore infielder Brenna Farmer said. "We need to show up as our best.”
The first game started slowly, with both pitchers quickly striking out the opposing team's batters. Ohio was able to break through in the third inning with a home run from senior outfielder Maddie Wilcox that also allowed senior catcher Emma Hoffner to score. These would be all the runs scored for the remainder of the game from either team.
“Home runs are great, and we don’t hit them super often,“ Ohio coach Jenna Hall said. "Anytime you can put it over the fence, it makes it a lot easier.”
With the score only being 2-0, Miami had a very good chance at being able to mount a comeback. It had a few hits here and there, but Ohio’s fielding and pitching shut down almost every attempt at a score. This was exemplified the most in the top of the seventh inning, as junior pitcher Skipp Miller didn’t allow any room for Miami to score and was able to close the game with the help of good fielding.
“I liked their energy and their belief from the get-go. Defensively, Shelby Westler was standing out," Hall said. "If we want to win the tough games down the stretch, the defense is going to have to come through.”
With Ohio securing the first game with all sides of the field playing well, game two started. This was another battle of attrition, as Ohio and Miami both struggled to get a single run on the board, but their defenses were feasting. Ohio had multiple times where the bases were loaded, but it wasn’t able to get anyone home. The first score in this game came from Miami during the top of the fifth inning from sophomore infielder Erin Pinter.
Ohio quickly answered back, though, as in the bottom of the fifth, a huge home run from Brenna Farmer sent both her and senior outfielder CiCi Keidel to the home plate. This was the second home run of the two games, with both of these plays having immense impacts, along with the fielding and pitching from Ohio.
“We came together, pitching, defense, offense, and we made it out on top,“ junior infielder Shelby Westler said. "Every single person, every pitcher, every defender, every hitter, we all contributed to those wins, even though they were close.”
With the second game winding down and the score still only separated by a single run, Ohio was able to help add cushion to its lead by scoring again in the sixth inning. With Ohio up two and the top of the seventh inning starting, freshman pitcher Anna Wise was able to prevent any comeback from Miami and secured the game against division rival Miami, cementing Ohio as the MAC division leader and giving it a two-game lead over Miami.
“These games mean something. When you wear Bobcat green and you’re up against the Red Hawks, it matters," Hall said. "If we continue to be who we want to be, stay present, and stay brave in those moments, I think we’ll be alright."
