MARIETTA, Ohio — John Carroll University swept an Ohio Athletic Conference softball doubleheader from Marietta College during the seventh annual Community Day activities Saturday (April 26) afternoon. The Blue Streaks posted wins of 5-0 and 5-4 improving to 22-15 on the season and 11-7 in the OAC. The Pioneers finish the 2015 season 12-22 overall and 5-13 in the OAC.
In the first game, John Carroll scored one run in the second inning and then added four unearned runs in the fourth and fifth innings for a 5-0 lead. That was all the run support starting pitcher AnnMarie Kirchner would need.
Kirchner (10-7) scattered six hits, all singles, in the complete-game shutout. She struck out five Pioneers and did not walk a batter.
Senior
Alexis O'Hair (Maumee/Maumee) (2-8) threw 7.0 innings and took the loss. She allowed five runs, only one earned, on seven hits. O'Hair walked four and struck out three.
Cierra Bloom (Dennison/Claymont) went 2-for-3 to lead the Marietta offensive attack.
Senior
Courtney Kerwood (Nashport/Tri-Valley) staked the Pioneers to an early lead in the nightcap with a solo home run to straight away center field. The lead was short-lived as the Blue Streaks answered with four runs in the second.
Kerwood picked up her second RBI of the game with a sac fly in the third as Marietta scored twice to get within a run, 4-3. Rachael Montgomery accounted for the second run of the inning with an RBI single.
Defensive troubles hurt MC again in the fourth leading to an unearned Blue Streak run and a 5-3 lead. The Pioneers again got within one when
Brey Mays (Bloomingdale/Indian Creek) ripped a double down the leftfield line scoring
Kaitlin Klinchock (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon), who reached on an error, in the sixth.
Rachel Byrnes (12-7) got the win for JCU. She tossed 6.2 innings and allowed four runs on eight hits. Byrnes walked three and struck out nine. Kirchner came in to get the final out of the game earning her first save of the season.
Alison Kach (Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich) (4-5) went the distance in the circle for the Pioneers. Kach was tagged with the loss working 7.0 innings and giving up five runs on five hits. She walked three and struck out three.
Klinchock finished 2-for-4 with a double and a triple, while Kerwood had the home run and two RBI.
Marietta honored seniors
Sarah Mayo (Proctorville/Chesapeake), Kerwood and O'Hair prior to the start of game one.
Fans can follow all the Pioneer teams all season long at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on Twitter and Instagram.
