A pitching duel between the Mid-American Conference’s two best pitchers lasted a little over three hours, but Ohio’s Savannah Jo Dorsey outlasted Buffalo’s Tori Speckman to advance to the MAC Tournament championship game.
Dorsey and Speckman were All-MAC selections, with Speckman earning All-MAC First Team honors All-MAC and Dorsey being named to the Second Team. However, Dorsey that showed she was the better pitcher at least on Friday night as she grinded out a scoreless 13-inning performance for the Bobcats. Speckman held the Bobcats scoreless until the 13th when junior Dakota Pyles hit a two-run homer scoring the only runs of the game.
Pyles almost scored the winning run on freshman Casie Hutchinson’s sacrifice fly in the seventh inning, but was called out after an appeal for leaving third base too early. She then seized her opportunity in the 13th inning.
Following a two-out single by Madison Claytor, it was Pyles’ time to be the hero. Claytor advanced to second on a wild pitch by Speckman, so all Ohio needed was a single to score the game’s first run. Instead, Pyles gave the Bobcats the lead in style hitting by hitting just her third home run of the season.
“During pregame we came out knowing this was going to be a slower pitcher,” Pyles said. “We have really big hitters that do well with speed pitchers, so during practice we just went off of our coaches throwing slower to us. I think we did well in pregame and I just kept that mentality of wait, wait, wait and explode.”
And just over 24 hours after pitching a perfect game, Dorsey threw yet another complete game shutout, whilr striking out 13 Bulls hitters and allowing five hits.
“It’s exciting that I could come out and help my team again like that,” Dorsey said. “Madison had the same idea today and come out with a new mentality like we have never faced them before.”
In Ohio’s three games of the MAC Tournament, Dorsey has pitched 27 innings and allowed only one run on 13 hits while recording 36 strikeouts.
Friday’s performance might have been the most impressive of them all, though, as Buffalo’s offense had been sizzling coming into the semifinal game. In their first two games, the Bulls combined to score 23 runs.
Coach Jodi Hermanek said players need to give championship-level performances in every game of the MAC Tournament and Dorsey has answered the bell in attempt to give Ohio its first MAC Championship since 1995.
“Words can’t describe how motivated and excited I am for these girls because of the games that they have played in this championship tournament so far,” coach Hermanek said. “I’m just looking forward to the game that they are going to play tomorrow. They have been program changing all year and now is their time to put it all out there in one game and take this program one step further.”
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