Ohio Softball Sweeps Doubleheader with Kent, 6-5 and 8-3

Athens, Ohio (April 29, 2000) -- Ohio softball swept a doubleheader against Kent, 6-5 and 8-3 in Mid-American Conference action on Saturday. Senior catcher Jen Sewell (Tulsa, OK) tied for fourth in career doubles with a two-bagger in Ohio's game-one rally. Freshman third baseman Kelli Bankert (Clifton, VA) paced Ohio's bats, hitting .750 with three doubles in the three game series that began on Friday.

The Bobcats started off the first inning with a run scored by leadoff batter Tiffany Bolton (Fairfax, VA). Bolton reached on an error and scored on Sara Kraus' (Tulsa, OK) double.

The Golden Flashes scored two runs in the second inning. Pitcher Nicole Karasek was hit by the pitch and was brought home by third baseman Renee Lynch who reached on a fielder's choice. Two batters later, catcher Jamie Kraus brought Lynch home to take the lead, 2-1. Left fielder Grete Hornstrom scored for the Golden Flashes in the third inning. Hornstrom reached on a single and was brought home three batters later by Lea Dorto's single to centerfield to increase the score to 3-1.

Ohio tied the game, 3-3, in the fourth inning with runs scored by freshman right fielder Lyndsay Eirich (Powell) and sophomore first basemen Jennifer Schmidt (Fort Wayne, IN). Eirich reached on an error and was brought home by Schmidt's double. Schmidt scored on freshman Randi Rico's (Mentor, OH) single to left field.

Kent took the lead 4-3 with a run in the sixth. Pitcher Nicole Karasek advanced to first with a single to left field. She scored three batters later by catcher Jamie Kraus. The Golden Flashes built a 5-3 advantage in the seventh. Denae Jones led off the inning with a double and scored on Dorto's double two batters later.

The Bobcats rallied back in the seventh inning to take the victory, 6-5. Bolton led off the inning with a single and advanced to third on Kraus' double to left field. Bankert used a sacrifice fly to advance Bolton home. Sewell brought Kraus home with a double to right field to tie the game, 5-5. Sewell advanced to third on Freshman Crystal Turner's (Kansas City, MO) single and scored the winning run on a throwing error. The Bobcats beat Kent 6-5 in the first game of the doubleheader.

Kasey Dowd (Clearwater, Fla., 7-13) tossed the complete game for the win, while Taylor Fleming (6-17) recorded the loss in relief.

In the second game Ohio struck first. In the first inning Kraus reached on an error. She scored three batters later when Eirich doubled to right field, also scoring Sewell.

The Bobcats scored four runs in the second inning to jump ahead 6-0. Schmidt led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on Anne Slusser's (Euclid) sacrifice bunt. Senior Christy Connelly (Antioch, Tenn.) singled on a bunt and advanced Schmidt to third. Schmidt reached home and Connelly advance to second on Bolton's single to right field. Connelly and Bolton scored on Kraus' single to centerfield. Sewell reached on an error to bring Kraus home for the sixth run.

Kerry Kaser ignited a stretch of four- straight doubles in the third. Kaser, Hornstrom, Jones, and Jaci Stein each connected on doubles to score Kent's only three runs of the game. Dowd stepped to the Bobcat mound in relief in the fifth, retiring seven of the 10 batters she faced to earn her first save of the season.

Ohio added a pair of runs in the fifth on three straight hits. An Eirich single was followed by a Turner double and a Schmidt single to post the insurance runs.

Connelly (3-2) earned the win, while Karen Kurycki recorded the loss. The Bobcats (14-25, 8-10 MAC) travel to Michigan on Wednesday, May 3 for a non-conference doubleheader with the Wolverines at 2 p.m.