By: Ryan Sosic '19

BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University softball team secured a spot in the 2019 Ohio Athletic Conference Softball Tournament and closed out the home portion of its scheduled as it swept an OAC doubleheader versus Capital University on the BW Softball Field at the Roehm Athletic Complex.

BW (31-7, 12-4 OAC), who qualifies for its first OAC Tournament since the 2011 season, won the opener by a final score of 3-1 and took the finale by a score of 11-2.

In game one, the Yellow Jackets scored three runs on six hits as they plated all their runs in the sixth inning. Capital (12-26, 4-12 OAC) scored one run on five hits as it pushed one across in the top of the fifth.

The BW offense was led by freshman designated player/first baseman Ashley Matousek (Sagamore Hills/Akron Archbishop Hoban) as she went 2-for-3 and powered a three-run homerun to ignite the Yellow Jacket offense. Senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC right fielder Alexis Boledovic (Brook Park/Berea-Midpark) also went 2-for-3 while senior left fielder Abbie Thompson (Madison) and junior Academic All-OAC second baseman Alex Kozich (Avon) each tallied a hit.

In the circle, freshman four-time OAC Softball Pitcher of the Week Nikki Camarati (Brunswick/Holy Name) picked up a school-record tying and league-leading 19th victory on the season after striking out 11 Crusaders while not allowing an earned run in seven innings of work. Camarati leads the OAC in wins, strikeouts, shutouts and earned run average (ERA).

In game two, the Yellow Jackets scored 11 runs on 12 hits as they plated eight runs in the third inning.  The Crusaders scored two runs on seven hits as they pushed a single run in both the first and fourth inning.

The BW offense was led by Boledovic, who broke the school-record for hits in a season and tied the school-record for runs scored as she batted 4-for-4, scored a run and batted-in five runs. Senior All-OAC shortstop Erica English (North Olmsted) hit 3-for-3 and junior center fielder Macy Leach (Westerville/Central) knocked her first career homerun in the bottom of the third as she batted 1-for-3 with three RBIs. Four other Yellow Jackets were able to tally a hit in the victory.

In the circle, sophomore All-OAC left hander Abby Cosart (Lima/Bath) improved to 10-4 on the season as she allowed one earned run on seven hits while not walking a batter in five innings.

The Yellow Jackets close out the regular season on Saturday, April 27 when they travel to Westerville for an OAC doubleheader against Otterbein University on the Otterbein Softball Field.

The OAC Tournament will be contested on Friday-Sunday, May 3-5 on the campus of the OAC regular season champion.