Ohio continued its strong start to Mid-American Conference play by taking two of three games from Northern Illinois on the road.
The Bobcats continued what was a program-record start to MAC play and are now 8-1 in conference.
Saturday
The Bobcats and Huskies split a doubleheader Saturday.
Ohio lost the first game 15-5 in five innings.
The first two Bobcat pitchers, freshman Madi McCrady and sophomore Kendall Meeks, struggled in the game. McCrady pitched one-third of an inning and gave up six runs on three hits. Meeks threw 1 2/3 innings and gave up eight runs on six hits.
Most of the runs from the Huskies came in the first inning, when they scored nine.
The Bobcats’ leading hitters, Michaela Dorsey and Mikayla Cooper, continued to hit well, driving in two runs apiece.
Ohio won the second game, however, by a score of 2-0.
Danielle Stiene threw a complete game, one-hit shutout. She also struck out 11.
Stiene and Northern Illinois pitcher Mackenzie Bryan had dueling shutouts into the seventh inning. They both had no-hitters going until the sixth.
Morgan Geno got Ohio’s first hit of the game, which scored Deanna Cole. Mackenzie Brunswick pinch ran for Geno and scored when Desirae Villanueva reached on an error.
Sunday
The Bobcats won the rubber match 7-6.
Cooper had a four-hit day to lead Ohio. She drove in three runs and scored all four times she was on base. She led the game off with a home run and added a triple that drove in two runs.
Going into the seventh inning, the Bobcats trailed. Cooper then started the rally with a single. Katie Yun scored her with an double, and Dorsey gave the Bobcats the lead with a single to right that scored Yun.
Stiene won her second game of the weekend and 13th on her season, pitching 2 2/3 innings to finish the game. She allowed no runs on one hit.
On deck
The Bobcats are next in action in a doubleheader against Kent State on Wednesday.
