ADA, OHIO -- The third-seed Baldwin-Wallace College softball team defeated the fourth-seed University of Mount Union today (Friday, May 6) in the third game of the 2011 Ohio Athletic Conference Softball Tournament by a final score of 6-5 in eight innings at the Ohio Northern University Softball Field.   The extra inning affair was the first time this season that B-W needed extra innings.

Earlier today, the Yellow Jackets defeated the second-seed John Carroll University, 3-0, in the opening game of the tournament and Mount Union defeated top-seed Ohio Northern University in the second game by a final score of 1-0.

The OAC Softball Tournament is a double elimination tournament consisting of the top four regular season finishers.  John Carroll and Ohio Northern tied for the best regular season record but due to the tie breaker Ohio Northern was given the top seed and is serving as the host for the tournament.

With the win , B-W is now 26-9 overall and advances to the championship game for the first time since the 2003 season.  The Yellow Jackets need just one victory in a potential two-game series on Saturday, May 7 to claim the school's first OAC Tournament Championship and automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Division III National Tournament.  Mount Union falls to 20-14 overall and will play the winner of the Ohio Northern and John Carroll game, which will be played at 9:00 a.m. Saturday due to weather.  The Purple Raiders will play the winner at 11:00 a.m. and the first game of the championship will be played at 1:00 p.m., with a sixth and final game to be played at 3:00 p.m. if  necessary.

B-W opened the scoring in the first inning when freshman leftfielder Ashley Elber (Huron/Edison) singled to right field and advanced to second on a base knock by senior centerfielder Tanya Davis (Hinckley/Medina Highland).  B-W loaded the bases when freshman catcher Meghan Kossow (Tonawanda, N.Y. ) was hit by a pinch.  The Yellow Jackets would score their lone on a run batted-in ground out by freshman third basemanKaity Mullen (Avon Lake) as Elber scored on the play.

In the top of the second inning, junior second baseman Katie Finley (Vermilion) led of the inning with a base hit up the middle and then freshman designated hitter Justina Wise (New London) advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Senior first baseman Katrina Resek (Strongsville) walked and then Elber hit her sixth homerun of the season and second of the tournament to right field to give BW a 4-0 lead.

In the third inning, freshman third baseman Kaity Mullen (Avon Lake) singled up the middle and advanced to second on a ground out by junior pitcher Sarah Baker (Mentor/Lake Catholic).  Finley reached on an error by the shortstop and Mullen scored, Finley advanced to second on the throw.

Mount Union scored all five of its runs in final four innings to send the game into extra innings.

In the eighth inning, Finley led off the inning with a base hit through the left side of the infield and advanced to third base on two separate wild pitches. Resek reached on a error by the shortstop that allowed Finley to score the winning run.

At the plate, Elber once again led the Yellow Jacket attack as she went 3-for-5 with a homerun, three RBI and two runs scored.  Finley also contributed three hits as she was 3-for-4 with two runs scored.   In addition,Davis and Mullen each added a hit.

On the mound, Baker started the game and pitched four and a two-thirds innings  while allowing three runs on sevens hits with one strike in a non-decision.  Senior MacKenzie Rohrbacher (Sandusky) pitched a third of inning of relief after getting the final out of the fifth inning while allowing a run with a strikeout and a walk.  Wisecame in to relieve Rohrbacher in the sixth and picked up her second win of the tournament after pitching three innings and allowing one run on four hits with three strikeouts

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