Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
ADA, Ohio – The Otterbein University softball team took both games of a doubleheader at Ohio Northern on Wednesday, winning in game one, 5-1, before pitching a shutout in game two, 5-0.
Otterbein (21-3-2 overall) has won its first eight games to begin Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play and will host Capital on Friday in a makeup doubleheader from last weekend. First pitch is at 3 p.m. at the Otterbein Softball Fields.
Game 1
Starting pitcher
Rachael Owens and the Cardinal defense held the Polar Bears to one run on seven hits over seven innings, with Owens striking out a pair of batters in her 12th win of the season.
The Cardinal offense struck the ball well in the outing, as
Maddie Flasco,
Megan Garner,
Molly Riggs, and
Niki Weaver each posted a multi-hit game.
Otterbein pushed its first run across the plate in the initial frame as Flasco scored on an illegal pitch by the ONU pitcher, Kirsten Lightel. Garner drove in classmate
Bailey McElwain in the next at-bat, giving the Cards an early 2-0 advantage.
The Cards doubled up the Polar Bears in the next inning, with Flasco and McElwain each driving in one run apiece. ONU got one run back in its half of the fifth inning, but Weaver tacked on an insurance run for the Cards in the top of the seventh inning.
Game 2
The Cardinals stymied the ONU offense again in game two, as starting pitcher
Gabby Johnson struck out 10 batters in a complete game shutout, surrendering just six hits in the process. Johnson improved to 6-1 on the year with the win.
Otterbein's offense was ignited again early on with one run in each of the first two innings, with Garner and Weaver playing the role of run producers, respecitvely. The Cards were held scoreless through the next four innings of play, before Garner, Owens and Riggs recorded consecutive run scoring base hits to inflate the lead to 5-0.
The Cards ended the game owning a 12-6 margin in hits, as McElwain, Garner and Speakman each tallied two hits in the contest. Five different Cardinal players scored a run in the game.
