BEREA, OHIO -- Behind the solid two-game and 14-inning pitching performance from sophomore Sarah Baker (Mentor/ Lake Catholic), the Baldwin-Wallace College softball team swept an important Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader versus Marietta College today (Friday, April 2, 2010) at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds Field in Berea. The Yellow Jackets won the opener, 6-1, and captured the nightcap with a 2-0 shutout.
With its sweep, the Yellow Jackets improve to 12-7 overall and 3-1 in the OAC, while Marietta is now 13-6 overall and 2-2 in the OAC. It also ended a four-day stretch that included eight games and a 5-3 record.
For the day, Baker hurled 14 innings, allowed 15 base hits and one earned run, and struck out seven Marietta batters and walked just two as she improved to 10-3 this season and 22-11 in her brief two-year career. In addition to her efforts on the mound, Baker had a base hit, scored a run and drove in another.
In the first game, the Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when with one out, junior leftfielder Chelsea Saunders (Medina Highland) singled and then scored when senior catcher Tanya Davis (Hinckley/ Medina Highland) doubled her home. Then after the second out, Baker singled to score Davis. Junior first baseman Katrina Resek (Strongsville) singled to advance each runner one base. Then, after an error loaded the bases, sophomore 2B Katie Finley (Vermilion) doubled home a pair of runners.
After Marietta closed to within 4-1 with its only run of the game in the top of the third inning, B-W added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth when Davis drove home a pair of runners with her second double of the game.
B-W out-hit Marietta, 8-5. Individually at the plate, Davis led the Yellow Jackets by going 3-for-3 with a run scored and three runs batted-in. On the mound, Baker pitched a complete game five-hitter, allowed her only run, struck out three Pioneer batters and walked just one as she improved to 9-3 this season. Junior Amanda Strong suffered the loss for Marietta and fell to 6-2 overall.
In the nightcap, B-W broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth inning when senior rightfielder Lauren Sabolik (Strongsville) blasted her first homerun this season and the sixth of her career for the game-winner. Then Davis gave Baker an insurance run when she doublee to knock in Saunders, who had singled and stole second base.
At the plate, Saunders led B-W with two of its eight base hits. On the mound, Baker pitched a complete-game and scattered 10 hits, struck out two Pioneers and walked just one to improve to 10-3.
B-W resumes its schedule on Thursday, April 8 at non-league foe Ursuline College in a 3:30 p.m. twinbill and by playing twice at OAC and Cleveland cross-town rival John Carroll University on Saturday, April 10 at 1:00 p.m.
FOR MORE B-W Sports Information, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Nick Minerd by phone at 440-826-2780 and e-mail at nminerd@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest BW athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.
