After being outscored 22-4 in two games on Friday, Ohio rebounded by sweeping Eastern Michigan on Saturday and Sunday.
After being swept in a doubleheader by Central Michigan on Friday, Raven King and Kaylin Clarke single-handedly changed the momentum in Ohio’s favor during its series against Eastern Michigan.
King, a redshirt senior first baseman, and Clarke, a senior pitcher, hit a combination of four home runs and brought in 16 runs, as each finished with eight RBIs during the Bobcats’ sweep of the Eagles.
“For the whole weekend we are going with realizing that we can make mistakes, but as long as we have each others backs, it doesn’t matter what the score is we are always going to come back and fight,” King said.
Coach Jodi Hermanek was not pleased with the Bobcats being outscored 22-4 during Friday’s doubleheader and challenged her team to play with more intensity for the rest of the Mid-American Confernce weekend homestand.
And Ohio listened to their coach by outscoring Eastern Michigan 12-2 Saturday, led by Clarke’s seven RBIs. The game was called after five innings because of the mercy rule.
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“This squad has been resilient all year, they don’t hang their hats and get down on something for too long,” Hermanek said. “Even if they know they aren’t right in the moment they do a good job at trying to make that adjustment and be a better team the next day.”
Sunday, Eastern Michigan got off to a 2-0 lead after three innings of play. With two out and two runners on in the bottom of the third, King dug into the plate and hammered a home run over the center field scoreboard putting Ohio ahead 3-2 after three.
The Bobcats made a pitching change in the top of the fourth when Clarke relieved senior Lauren McClary and the Eagles didn’t score the remainder of the game.
But Ohio continued scoring in the fifth after a Clarke’s squeeze bunt allowed junior Amanda Dalton to score. King then hit another homerun before the end of the inning, this time to drive in three runs. She finished the day 2-for-3 with two home runs and six RBIs.
Clarke allowed no runs and only three hits, while adding three strikeouts to her line. Ohio picked up the 7-2 victory and the series sweep over Eastern Michigan.
With the wins Saturday and Sunday, Ohio has now won six of its past eight games.
“A .500 weekend is a positive weekend in this conference,” Hermanek said.
This weekend marked the Bobcats’ longest homestand of the season, which King said was a welcome change.
“I don’t know what it is, it must be the atmosphere, you have your routine when your home and your own rhythm, Athens air, it gives us spirit,” King said.
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