Ohio has a home series against Akron with a game Friday and a doubleheader Saturday.
Savannah Jo Dorsey is going to have to put the last game behind her and prepare for Ohio’s three-game series against Akron on Friday and Saturday at the Ohio Softball Field.
Dorsey and the Bobcats play at 3 p.m. Friday and play a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Here are some things to keep in mind ahead of the weekend series.
Dorsey’s Success
On Wednesday, Dorsey pitched three and 1/3 innings in the loss to Kent State. Coach Jodi Hermanek wanted Dorsey’s pitches to be less predictable than they were the last time the two teams played. Ohio jumped out to an early lead, but surrendered it in the seventh and lost in nine innings, 5-4.
Against Akron, Dorsey's national rankings are going to be important if Ohio hopes to stay above .500 at the end of the weekend.
“Regardless if she just walked three batters or she just struck out three batters, she’s still going to approach it the same way," catcher Madison Clayton said of Doersey. "She has a clear mind and she’s just able to attack and her pitches have great movement.”
Dorsey leads the nation in strikeouts, and is eighth in shutouts and ninth in hits allowed per seven innings.
Dalton’s Return?
Amanda Dalton has been out since the conference opening series against Western Michigan. She stole four bases the whole weekend and help set up Ohio for the 3-1 win in the second game of the doubleheader.
But an injury at her second at-bat in the second game caused her to miss the series against Kentucky the following week and she hasn’t played since.
Though the offense hasn’t struggled without her, Dalton is a force when it comes to getting on base and getting into scoring position. If she is fit this weekend, she adds another dimension to an offense that is already a threat with second baseman Taylor Saxton and centerfielder Deanna Cole.
Scouting Akron
Claytor and the Bobcats aren’t too worried about the defense going into this weekend. Defensively, Ohio is second in the nation at fielding at 97 percent.
“We really just want to focus on going right at them and sticking to our own game plan and not having to adjust to them necessarily,” Claytor said.
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In terms of facing Akron’s starting pitcher, Erin Seller, Claytor says her and the Bobcats are going to stick to the game plan and not think too much into it. Ohio is a strong hitting team, so it’s a matter of producing the same way it has all year for Ohio. And doing so will give Ohio three wins to get Ohio closer to the top of the Mid-American East Conference standings.
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