MARIETTA, Ohio — Ohio Northern University swept an Ohio Athletic Conference softball doubleheader from Marietta College Saturday (April 21) afternoon at Marietta Field. The Polar Bears took the first game, 8-0, and then posted a 3-2 win in the second game.
The Pioneers fall to 15-15 overall and 7-7 in the OAC. Ohio Northern improves to 26-6 on the season and 12-4 in conference games.
Kirsten Ligh (14-2) tossed the complete game shutout allowing just two Marietta base hits. She walked two and struck out six.
Ohio Northern scored two runs in the third and then broke the game open with five more runs in the final two innings.
Jackie Mulvain (Warren, Ohio/Champion) (7-5) took the loss for the Pioneers. She started and worked 6.0 innings giving up seven runs, six earned, on 13 hits. Mulvain struck out two.
Hannah Richardson (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville Central) allowed one run on one hit in 1.0 inning of work.
Reagan Tom (Chandlersville, Ohio/Philo) and
Maicy Kirk (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy Orange) had Marietta's hits in the game.
ONU scored one run in the top of the first inning in the second game. Brady Guest singled to center field scoring Jenna Hollar, who led off the inning with a single and stole second.
The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth inning when Marietta plated two runs for its first lead of the afternoon. Tom reached on a two-out single.
Ali Prologo (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) followed with an infield single to the shortstop. Both runners moved up one base when the throw got away at first base.
Alyssa Cook (Akron, Ohio/Ellet) drove in both Tom and Prolog with a sharp single up the middle.
Ohio Northern answered with two runs in the top of the sixth. RBI doubles from Gabby Stewar and Guest put the Polar Bears back on top, 3-2.
Kaitlin Surd (12-4) started and got the win for ONU. Surd pitched 5.0 innings and gave up two runs, one earned, on eight hits. She struck out six Pioneers. Ligh earned her first save after throwing 2.0 innings of one-hit relief.
Maddi Liston (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central) (4-6) was tagged with the loss. Liston threw 6.1 innings and gave up three runs on six hits. She walked two and struck out three. Richardson threw the final 0.2 innings and gave up one hit.
Lauren Rockocy (North Royalton, Ohio/North Royalton) and
Ashley Tschudy (New Philadelphia, Ohio/Indian Valley) went 2-for-3 with a double for the Pioneers. Tom and Prologo each had a pair of singles.
Marietta plays at Muskingum University on Sunday (April 22) at 1 p.m.
Fans can follow all the Pioneer teams all year long at pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on Twitter and Instagram.
