BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College softball team split an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader with Cleveland cross-town rival John Carroll University today (Saturday, April 9, 2011) at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds Field in Berea.  The Yellow Jackets won the first game, 3-1, and the JCU captured the nightcap, 7-6.

With its split  the Yellow Jackets are now 12-5 overall and have a 3-3 mark in the OAC. JCU is now 14-8 overall and 4-2 in the OAC.

In the first game, B-W jumped out to the lead in the first inning when senior centerfielder Tanya Davis (Hinckley/ Medina Highland) connected on her school-record 46th career double with two outs. Freshman RF Tabitha Murray (Mogadore/ Field) followed with her team-leading third homerun of the season to give the Yellow Jackets a 2-0 advantage.  

JCU countered in the third inning using a pair of hits and a walk to score its first run of the game. B-W struck back in the fourth inning when junior pitcher/outfielder Sarah Baker (Mentor/ Lake Catholic) connected for a leadoff double.  Junior catcher Kim Parkinson (Stow/ Stow-Munroe Falls)entered the game as a pinch-runner for Baker and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by freshman pitcher Justina Wise (New London).  Freshman shortstop Lauren Feciuch (Kent/ Field) singled to drive in her 10th run of the season and push the Yellow Jackets' lead to 3-1.  

JCU tried to muster a late rally in the sixth inning when Wiseallowed a leadoff single and a double to left field, but she responded by retiring the next three hitters, including striking out the first two.   
The Yellow Jacket hitting attack was led by Murray and Davis as each player was 2-for-3 at the plate.  Both of Davis' hits were doubles. On the mound. Wise threw a complete-game five-hitter and struck out four to improve to 7-2 overall.

In the second game, the Yellow Jackets grabbed a 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the first frame when freshman LF Ashley Elber (Huron/ Milan Edison) smashed her second homer of the campaign.. The Blue Streaks would gain a 2-1 advantage when they scored twice in the top of the fourth, but BW came right back to tie it at 2-2 with a run of its own in the bottom half of that inning via an unearned run.

JCU then scored five runs in the top of the sixth to take a 7-2 lead. The big play was a single with the bases loaded that was misplayed by the rightfielder and turned into a four-run play. A Blue Streak solo homer was the fifth tally of the frame.

The Yellow Jackets tried to come back and scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh. The rally began when junior 2B Katie Finley (Vermilion) singled, advanced to second on a single by Feciuch, and after a fly out, she advanced to third on a single by Elber. Davis then reached on an error with Finley scoring to cut the deficit to 7-3. Feciuch then scored on a passed ball and Davis and pinch runner, freshman Katie Carabin (Norwalk/ St. Paul) advanced one base each. Murray then reached on a fielder's choice with Carabinscoring and Davis advancing to third as B-W climbed to within 7-5. A groundout then scored Davis to make the score 7-6, but more importantly, Murray, the tying runner, advanced to second.  But a groundout ended the threat and game.

The Yellow Jacket hitting attack was led by Elber and Davis with two hits each.  On the mound, Wise started and went the first three and one-third innings and left with the score tied at 2-2. She allowed four hits and two earned runs and struck out two Blue Streaks.  Baker was the hard-luck loser on the mound as she fell to 4-3. She was followed to the mound in the top of the seventh by senior Mackenzie Rohrbacher (Sandusky).

B-W is back in action tomorrow, Sunday, April 10 when they travel to Gambier, Ohio to play a non-league doubleheader against Kenyon College at 1:00 p.m.  Next week, B-W also plays away OAC twinbills at the University of Mount Union on Tuesday, April 12 at 3:30 p.m. and at Ohio Northern University on Saturday, April 16 at 1:00 p.m. as well as a non-league doubleheader at Geneva (Pa.) College on Wednesday, April 13 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