Bobcats win 3 of 4, earn No. 4 seed in MAC Tournament

by Tom Valentino
Staff Writer

Needing at least a split Saturday at Marshall to qualify for the Mid-American Conference Tournament, the Ohio softball team left little to chance. The Bobcats swept the Thundering Herd 8-2 and 1-0 Saturday.

Ohio (26-22 overall, 15-9 MAC) had a chance to clinch the No. 3 seed in the MAC Tournament with a sweep of visiting Bowling Green (22-25-1, 11-13) yesterday but split with the Falcons. Ohio defeated Bowling Green 6-5 in the first game of the doubleheader but fell 9-5 in the nightcap.

With the score tied 1-1 in the first game Saturday against Marshall (18-28, 11-13), Ohio right fielder Jenny Tisevich hit an RBI single to give Ohio a 2-1 lead. Tisevich hit a three-run home run in the fourth to put Ohio ahead 6-1. Tisevich finished the day with three hits and four runs batted in.

“I’ve been seeing the ball really well for the last week,” Tisevich said. “I’m seeing the ball, and I’m just trying to make contact.”

Pitcher Val Wood threw her fourth complete game shutout of the season in the nightcap. Wood scattered three hits, struck out six and walked one batter.

Wood relieved starting pitcher Heather Hagen in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and Ohio leading 5-4. On her first pitch, Wood forced Bowling Green outfielder Crystal Wilson to ground into an inning-ending double play.

After an RBI single by Tisevich put the Bobcats ahead 6-4 in the bottom of the fifth, Wood found herself in a jam once again in both the sixth and seventh innings. The Falcons put runners on second and third bases with one out. Wood, however, retired the following two batters on groundouts to escape the inning.

After cutting the deficit to 6-5 in the seventh inning, Bowling Green had the bases loaded with no outs. Wood set down the following three batters to save the victory.

“I really don’t know what happened. I was so hyped up, I wasn’t getting any movement on my pitches,” Wood said. “The defense totally backed me up and the hitters came through.”

A six-run second inning by Bowling Green led to the Falcons’ victory in yesterday’s second game. First baseman Natalie Phillips hit an RBI double to put Bowling Green ahead 4-1 in the second. Outfielder Renee Rosemeier scored two more with another double two batters later.

Ohio drew to within 6-4 in the bottom of the second with RBI doubles by Tisevich and third baseman Kiersten Scrima but did not get any closer.

Despite failing to clinch the No. 3 seed in the MAC Tournament, Ohio coach Roanna Brazier said the team did not lose any momentum with the loss in the second game against Bowling Green.

“Fatigue set in. There were a lot of emotions running today,” Brazier said. “We’re disappointed because we wanted the third seed, but hey, we’re still going to the MAC (Tournament).”

Ohio travels to Buchtel Field in Akron for the first round of the MAC Tournament on Thursday.