This season, Ohio has won in a multitude of ways. It has blown out opponents, held on during comeback attempts and, on Tuesday, overcame a deficit to pick up a victory.
The first four and a half innings for Ohio were far from pretty. As the potent lineup for Ohio struggled to get any sort of rhythm against Kent State pitcher Anilese Kelly, time began to run out for a comeback attempt.
Freshman Shelby Westler jump-started the comeback attempt by hitting a double to lead off the fifth inning. The next event was a familiar one for the Bobcats. Numerous times, a sacrifice bunt attempt was thrown up the right-field line, allowing a run to score. The bunt by CiCi Keidel was a perfect job of playing small ball and simply getting the job done.
Senior Alexis Dawe (6) hits the ball at the game against Kent State on April 11, 2023, at Bob Wren Stadium, in Athens, Ohio.
"I think it kind of continues to point to our athleticism," Ohio head coach Jenna Hall said. "We can run, we can move really fast. We can execute a lot of things … I think it's a different way to win and it just shows the versatility of who we have on the field and what we're able to do in those situations."
The following batter for Ohio, Tori O'Brien, attempted to do the same thing, the result was different and she was thrown out. An infield single by Belle Hummel brought Yasmine Logan to the plate, and for the second time in the inning, Ohio bunted and scored a run.
The clutch hitting did not stop for Ohio after the fifth inning, however.
Sydney Grein led off the sixth inning with a booming triple that got lost in the Athens sun to put the go-ahead run 60 feet away with two outs to get it home. Keidel, again, came up with the clutch double to give Ohio its first lead of the game.
"I haven't been doing the best to produce but I knew that was a new at bat, new inning," Keidel said. "I knew that I could do it and score that run for (us) … I was just looking for a good pitch to hit, something I could drive hard up the middle."
Jenna Hall celebrates during a game against Kent State at Ohio Softball Field on Tuesday, April 11, 2023.
With a game between two teams of completely different calibers, it easily could have been a blowout for Ohio. While it might not have ended up being a chance for it to flex its muscles on a conference rival, it was encouraging because of how much the players trusted one another.
Moreover, the late-game heroics for the Bobcats illustrate just how versatile they are in executing late in games. Hall always preaches that if the Bobcats are to be successful, they must "do their jobs." In the first game against the Golden Flashes, the ability to trust the team to succeed was more than evident and a sign of better things to come.
