UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio – Freshman attack Caitlin Wheeler (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest) scored career-high eight goals as the third-seeded Baldwin Wallace University women's lacrosse team defeated second-seeded and cross-town rival John Carroll University in an OAC Tournament semifinal game, 22-9, on Wasmer Field inside Don Shula Stadium.

BW (8-5) advances to its second straight OAC Championship game and will face top-seeded and 18th-nationally ranked the University of Mount Union on Saturday, May 2 at 1 p.m.   John Carroll (10-5) ends their season by winning eight of its last 10 games.

In addition to Wheeler for the Yellow Jackets, senior attack Colleen Bodkin (East Amherst, N.Y.) scored six goals.  Sophomore All-OAC midfielder Maddie Russell (Lakewood/Rocky River) scored four goals and added two assists while senior attack Victoria Budzyn (East Amherst, N.Y.) added two goals and one assist.  Junior attack Emma Harding (Akron/Revere) scored one goal and added a career-best five assists.

In the first half, the Blue Streaks opened the scoring when Megan Hart found the back of the net off the assist from Annamae Bolen just 14 seconds into the game.   The Yellow Jackets tied the game at 1-1 on the goal by senior All-OAC attack Colleen Bodkin (East Amherst, N.Y.) off the assist from freshman midfielder Kayla Miller (Hudson) at 26:10.  After another John Carroll goal, BW answered with two unanswered to take a 3-2 lead on goals by Wheeler and Bodkin with the last coming at the 18:28.   The Blue Streaks responded with four unanswered goals to take a 6-3 at 8:28.   The Yellow Jackets scored the final six goals as Budzyn and Russell each scored two goals and Wheeler and Bodkin added one with the last coming with 38 seconds left in the opening half.

BW opened the second half and continued its scoring streak as Wheeler scored four goals and one each from Harding and Russell to up the lead to 15-6 at the 16:25 mark.  John Carroll ended a 23-minute scoreless drought as it scored back-to-back-goals to cut the lead down to 15-8 at the 15:04 mark.  The Yellow Jackets responded with six unanswered goals to push the lead to 21-8 on three goals by Bodkin, two from Wheeler and one by Russell with the last coming at 5:07.  The Blue Streaks cut the lead down to 21-9 when Gina Bilsack scored the unassisted goal at the 1:48 mark.  BW scored the game's final goal when freshman defender Lauryn Wright (Orrville) found the back of the net off the assist from Budzyn with 28 seconds remaining.

In goal for the Yellow Jackets, sophomore netminder Amanda Getto (Medina), this week's OAC Women's Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week, faced 25 total shots, allowed nine goals and made 11 saves.

BW outshot the John Carroll, 40-25, and had advantage 17- lead in ground balls.  The Blue Streaks won the battle in draw controls by a count of 17-16.

The winner of the OAC Championship game receives an  automatic berth in the 2015 NCAA Division III National Tournament.