ALLIANCE, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College softball team split an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader with the University of Mount Union today (Thursday, April 14) at the 23rd Street Softball Field. B-W won the opener, 5-3, while Mount Union came back to take the nightcap, 4-3. The game was originally scheduled for Tuesday, April 12 but was postponed due to rain.
With the split, the Yellow Jackets move to 16-7 overall and 4-4 in the OAC while Mount Union is now 15-9 overall and 7-3 in the OAC.
In game one, B-W struck first in the top of the second inning as junior second baseman Katie Finley (Vermilion) delivered a two out single to bring home freshman right fielder Tabitha Murray (Mogadore/Field).
After Mount Union came back with three runs in the third, B-W tied the game with two runs in the fifth as freshman shortstop Lauren Feciuch (Kent/Field) and freshman LF Ashley Elber (Huron/Edison) each had RBI hits.
B-W would complete the comeback in the top of the sixth inning as freshman 3B Kaity Mullen (Avon Lake)drove in Murray with a double to left center. Later that inning, B-W added an unearned insurance run to make the final score 5-3.
At the plate, B-W out hit the Purple Raiders, 11-6. Murray led the way as she had three hits in four plate appearances and two runs scored. Elber and Finley each contributed two hits, a double and a RBI. On the mound, freshman right-hander Justina Wise (New London) went all seven innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits. Wise struck out six batters while only walking two as she improved her overall record to 9-3.
In game two, Mount Union jumped out to a 4-0 lead with one run in the fourth inning and three more in the fifth. B-W battled back in the sixth, taking advantage of two Mount Union errors and a wild pitch to cut the Purple Raider lead in half at 4-2.
The Yellow Jackets rallied again in the seventh as freshman catcher Meghan Kossow (Tonawanda, N.Y./Tonawanda) doubled with one out. Junior Kim Parkinson (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls) was brought in as a pinch runner and was driven home on a double to left center by Feciuch. However, with runners on first and third, B-W was unable to bring home the tying run.
At the plate, Feciuch was 1-for-3 with the RBI double. Senior CF Tanya Davis (Hinckley/Medina Highland)was 1-for-4 with a run scored. On the mound, junior Sarah Baker (Mentor/Lake Catholic) started and pitched the first five innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits. Baker walked one while striking out two. Senior Mackenzie Rohrbacher (Sandusky) came on in relief to pitch a scoreless sixth inning.
B-W is back in action on Saturday, April 16 when it travels to Ada, Ohio to take on the Polar Bears of Ohio Northern University in an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. The Yellow Jackets return to friendly confines of the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds Field on Tuesday, April 19 when they play host to Heidelberg University in a doubleheader at 3:30 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 Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu Fans can access the latest B-W athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter athttp://twitter.com/bwathletics