Following a tough weekend where Ohio (28-12, 11-4 Mid-American Conference) lost its first MAC series of the year to Toledo, the team regrouped and rebounded quickly to travel north and take on the other half of the I-75 rivalry, sweeping Bowling Green (15-27, 7-11 MAC) in a doubleheader. The Bobcats took home game one by a score of 10-1 and game two 5-4.
Game One
Both teams came out of the gates hot, with Ohio scoring a run in the top of the first and Bowling Green matching that run in the bottom of the inning. Senior infielder Lauren Yuhas drew a walk to open the game, and a double from senior outfielder CiCi Kiedel brought her home. Sophomore infielder Brenna Farmer almost put up another run but was tagged out at home after a fielder's choice on sophomore outfielder Izzie Wilson.
Ohio’s starting pitcher, redshirt junior Skipp Miller, gave up her only run of the game in the first, coming off a sac fly. A hit-by-pitch and an error in the first made the inning longer than it should have been. After Miller got out of the first, however, she was dominant.
After giving up two hits without allowing a run in the second, Miller went one-two-three in both of the third and fourth innings, allowing the Bobcat offense to put up 4 more runs, with Farmer bringing in 2 of those runs, along with Yuhas and senior outfielder Maddie Wilcox bringing home the other 2.
After a scoreless fifth inning from both teams, Ohio’s offense blew the game open in the sixth and seventh innings, scoring 5 runs, with 4 of the 5 coming from RBI singles with runners in scoring position.
While the offense was lighting it up to close the game, Miller held it down on the mound, finishing a 1-run complete game with seven strikeouts.
Game Two
After a blowout in the first game, the fans at Meserve Field in Bowling Green were treated to an electric second game, complete with a seventh-inning Ohio comeback.
Sophomore Mikie Lieving got the start in the circle for the Bobcats, and her day pitching got off to a rough start, giving up the only 4 runs Bowling Green scored in the first inning.
After a scoreless first for Ohio, Bowling Green came out scorching hot with the bats, getting two quick hits before Lieving got her first strikeout. After the first strikeout, Lieving walked the next two batters, scoring a run and loading the bases for the Falcons.
After those two walks, Lieving got her second strikeout of the inning, but right after, Bowling Green sophomore outfielder Peyton Steffes stepped up to the plate and delivered, smacking a double to left field that brought everyone home, putting up Bowling Green 4-0 early.
Freshman Anna Wise came in the game in relief for Lieving in the third with the score still at 4-0. Wise came through for the Bobcats, keeping the Falcons scoreless through her three-and-two-thirds innings pitched.
While Wise was going to work, the Ohio bats came awake in the fifth, scoring 2 runs thanks to a Yuhas RBI single and a Farmer sac fly. Ohio was back in striking distance after cutting the lead to 2, as the score stayed at 4-2 going into the seventh inning.
In the seventh, Farmer started quickly with a leadoff double, and after a throwing error, her pinch runner, junior Ashley Sturgil, scored on the same play that saw senior catcher Emma Hoffner reach on the error.
Sydney Young walked and was pinch-ran for by the pitcher Lieving, who immediately stole second base. After an Izzie Wilson two-RBI single, Ohio had the lead and needed to protect it for the win in the bottom of the seventh.
Skipp Miller got the ball for the seventh, pitching in her second game of the day, and she earned the save after going one-two-three in the bottom of the seventh to close out the win.
