Defeating Ohio State in the first game of the Red and Black Classic last month not only ended a six-game slide for Ohio, but also proved it can beat some of the nation’s best competition.
The Bobcats will travel north to Columbus to face off once again against their in-state foe in a midweek doubleheader. Coach Jodi Hermanek’s squad will not take this non-conference doubleheader lightly though, as winning in-state battles is equally as important as winning in the conference.
So far this season, Ohio has fared well against Ohio schools, compiling a record of 3-1. The lone loss came in the first game of a doubleheader against Dayton. The Bobcats dropped that game 6-1 only to rally in the next game to win 4-2.
But the Mid-American Conference East-leading Bobcats took down the Buckeyes 7-3 in their first meeting of the season. Sophomore pitcher Savannah Jo Dorsey pitched a complete game, allowing just five hits. She also struck out five Buckeye batters.
Early run support helped Dorsey cruise to her 10th win, as senior first baseman Alexandria Basquez hit a two-run homer in the first inning. Senior centerfielder Alyssa Wolfe followed the next inning, hitting a two-run dinger of her own. The Bobcat bats forced an early departure of Ohio State senior pitcher Melanie Nichols after just two innings.
“We got out on them early,” coach Hermanek said. “They are a team that’s going to adjust offensively as they go through and they did that, putting pressure on us in the middle of the game. We had good comfort with our lead in the game that we were able to stick with our game and our approach.”
Having won four of its first six MAC games, Ohio will deviate from its conference slate to take on Ohio State, which sits in the middle of the Big Ten standings, compiling all five of their conference wins against teams with worse records.
A three-game sweep of Michigan State also accounted for the only three games that the Buckeyes have played at home this season.
But the Bobcats’ pitching staff will have trouble dealing with a quartet of Buckeye bats.
Led by senior first baseman Evelyn Carrillo batting .364, Ohio State’s middle-of-the-order brings plenty of pop.
Hermanek could use multiple pitchers after Dorsey pitched eleven innings this weekend against Buffalo.
“The last game that we played here against Buffalo is the game we have to feel off of,” Hermanek said. “We played as a team and won as a team. We made great adjustments and we put the pressure on them all the way through. We need to feed off of that and carry that wind under our sails and take it to Ohio State’s field.”
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This article originally appeared in print under the headline "’Cats look to again win state bragging rights."
