What was an explosive March has turned into a slumbering April as Ohio lost 1-0 to Kent State on Wednesday.
The Bobcats (25-16, 6-6 Mid-American Conference) lost their second consecutive conference series with the loss. The rubber match against the Golden Flashes occurred a week after the first two games in the series, an April 2 doubleheader.
Sophomore pitcher Madi McCrady was much sharper in the circle as she tossed seven strikeouts while only giving up four hits.
The game’s lone run occurred in the sixth when Kent State’s Kennadie Goth reached home on an Ohio error.
The Bobcats had a chance to tie up the game in the seventh inning when Deanna Cole tried to tag up from third base. With two outs, she was the third and final as Ohio’s comeback bid was ruled short by just a few inches.
The big picture
As it stands, the defending MAC Champions are in sixth place. Against the top five teams in the MAC, the Bobcats are just 1-5. They’ll get their next crack against a top-five team when they play Miami at home April 26 and 27.
What’s next
Ohio has an opportunity to get back on track as it travels to Akron for another conference series. The Zips (8-22-2, 2-9 MAC) dropped a game to Buffalo on Wednesday. Ohio swept Akron a year ago in a combined 25-2 three-game performance.
