ADA, Ohio — Ohio Northern swept an Ohio Athletic Conference softball doubleheader from Marietta College Wednesday (March 30) afternoon by the scores of 7-3 and 7-6. The Pioneers fall to 6-10 overall and 0-2 in the OAC. Ohio Northern improves to 6-6 overall and 2-0 in the OAC.
The Polar Bears scored four runs in the first inning of game one and then added three more in the fifth for the victory. Starting pitcher Ashley Lenser helped her own cause with a two-run single in the first inning rally.
Lenser (2-2) went the distance in the circle for ONU giving up three runs on nine hits. She walked two and struck out seven.
Jillian Middleton (Marietta, Ohio/Marietta) (5-3) started and took the loss for Marietta. She worked 4.1 innings and gave up seven runs, five earned, on nine hits. Middleton walked six and struck out four.
Ashton Helmke (Defiance, Ohio/Tinora) threw the final 1.2 innings retiring all five hitters she faced, including one via strikeout.
Marietta got on the board in the third inning when Middleton scored on a sac fly off the bat of
Hailey Maher (Galloway, Ohio/Central Crossing). The Pioneers' final two runs came on a two-run home run from
Emma Burke (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) in the seventh.
Burke finished 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Middleton has two hits, including a double.
Marietta built a 6-1 lead in the second game before the Polar Bears scored four runs in the fifth and then walked it off with a two-run single from Lauren Renner in the bottom of the seventh.
Burke spotted Marietta a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer over the centerfield wall in the first inning. Michaela Bradley drove in
Jordan Cholley (North Canton, Ohio/Glenoak) with an RBI double in the second.
Maher made it 5-1 in the top of the third with a two-run double to centerfield.
Rachel Kazmirski (Colliers, W.Va./Brooke) led off the fourth inning with a solo home run to left field pushing the Pioneer lead to 6-1.
Ohio Northern chased Kazmirski from the circle in the fifth inning. Kazmirski started the game and pitched 4.1 innings allowing four runs on four hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Sarah Keating (Wadsworth, Ohio/Wadsworth) came in and walked two of the three hitters she faced before turning the ball over to Middleton.
Middleton (5-4) was tagged with the loss after allowing two runs on three hits in 2.1 innings of work. She struck out two.
Sracey Walters started for the Polar Gears and pitched 2.2 innings giving up five runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Allie Bican (1-1) got the win tossing 4.1 innings in relief. She was charged with one run on three hits with a walk and six strikeouts.
Kazmirski and Maher each had two hits in the game for Marietta. Kazmirski had a home run, while Maher had a pair of doubles.
Marietta hosts Capital University on Saturday (April 2) for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader.
Fans can follow all of 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.
