BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College softball team swept a doubleheader from Ohio Athletic Conference rival Heidelberg University today (April 1, 2009) at the Cuygahoga County Fairgrounds Field in Berea. The Yellow Jackets won the first game, 8-4, and captured the nightcap, 9-1, in a five-inning 'mercy rule' contest.
The sweep improves the Yellow Jackets to 14-8 overall and 2-2 in the OAC and extends their winning streak to four games. B-W also swept a doubleheader yesterday from The College of Wooster. Heidelberg falls to 2-16 overall, 0-4 in the OAC and has lost eight straight contests.
In the first game, Heidelberg opened the game with three runs in the top of the first inning. B-W countered with a run in the bottom of the inning, but the Student Princes extended its lead to 4-1 with a run in the third. The Yellow Jackets took a 5-4 lead in the fouth when they exploded for four runs. Back-to-back homeruns by sophomore catcher Tanya Davis (Hinckley/ Medina Highland) and first baseman Caitlin Myor (Sheffield Village/ Elyria Senior) paced BW. Two insurance runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth sealed the win for the Brown & Gold.
At the plate, Davis's three-run homerun and Myor's two-for-four game, including a solo shot to follow Davis led the way. In addition, junior centerfielder Mallory Kobak (Indepenence) was 2-for-4 with one run batted-in and one run scored. She also stole two bases, giving her a team-high 25 thefts for the season. Freshman righthanded pitcher Sarah Baker (Mentor/ Lake Catholic) was 2-for-4 with a run.
On the mound, Baker started and worked all seven innings for her eighth complete game of the season and seventh victory. Her record now stands at 7-4. Baker gave up four runs (two earned) on six hits and struck out four batters.
In the second game, B-W took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, extended it to 7-0 with a six-run third and added two in the fourth for a 9-0 lead entering the fifth. Heidelberg scored its lone run in the fifth.
At the plate, Kobak, Davis, junior LF Chelsea Saunders (Medina/ Highland) and sophomore 3B Becky Miner (Berea) each had two base hits to lead the attack. Davis homered for the second straight game, scored twice and had two RBI. Saunders reached base in all three plate appearances and scored three runs. The big hit in the six-run third inning was a three-run double by freshman designated player Brittany Pfeil (Sandusky/ Perkins).
On the mound, sophomore Mackenzie Rohrbacher (Sandusky/ Senior) pitched all five innings, allowed four hits and one earned run, struck out six and walked two in improving to 6-4 overall.
After 22 contests, Kobak leads the team with a .475 batting average (38-of-80) and has stolen 26 bases in 29 attempts. She also has a team-leading 38 base hits and three triples. Davis is hitting .474 (36-of-76) with team-highs of 29 runs scored, 12 doubles and is second with three homers and 32 RBI. Saunders is hitting .452 (33-of-73) with 22 runs scored and is tied for second in steals with Davis with six each. Myor is hitting .417 (30-of-72) with a team-leading eight homers and an OAC-leading 34 RBI. As a team, the Yellow Jackets are batting .351 and have scored 163 runs in 22 games (7.4 runs per game).
Baker has led the pitching staff with a 7-4 record and a 2.25 earned run average, has thrown four shutouts and is holding opponent hitters to a .233 batting average. She has also struck out 35 batters in 71 and two-third innings pitched. Rohrbacher is 6-4 with a 2.35 ERA and has struck out a team-leading 48 batters in 62 and two-third innings of work.
B-W will return to action on Saturday, April 4 when it travels to Columbus to play Capital University in an OAC doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. B-W also hosts home doubleheaders against OAC rivals Ohio Northern University on April 7 at 3:30 p.m. and versus Marietta College on April 10 at 3:30 p.m. as well as a non-conference twinbill against cross-town rival Case Western Reserve University on April 9 at 3:30 p.m.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at (440) 826-2327 and via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Nick Minerd by phone at (440) 826-2780 and via e-mail at nminerd@bw.edu. To contact Head Coach Tom Spencer, please call him at (440) 826-3988 in his office and e-mail him at tspencer@bw.edu. More information may be accessed on the B-W athletics page at www.bw.edu/athletics.