COLUMBUS, Ohio - After falling in game one 3-2, the Ohio Dominican softball team, led at the plate and in the circle by Caitlin Chaney (Jr./Newark, OH), posted an 8-0 five-inning victory against Walsh to earn the non-conference doubleheader split on Friday afternoon at Panther Field.

With the split, the Panthers now stand at 5-14 on the season and 1-1 at home, while the Cavaliers move to 5-6.

At the dish in game two, Chaney drove in a game-high two RBI with a SAC fly to center and her second lead off solo homerun of the day, while on the rubber, she had one of her best starts of the season, allowing just three hits, no walks and striking out three in four innings of work.

Erin Sutter (Jr./Mansfield, OH) opened the game with a single and steal and Jennifer Baker (Sr./Cortland, OH) followed with a bunt single and steal of her own. With runners on second and third, Sutter scored on a wild pitch and Kylee Crislip (Jr./Louisville, OH) doubled to left center to score Baker. After a wild pitch advanced Crislip to third, Chaney collected her first RBI with a SAC fly.

ODU added another run in the home half of the second as Baker collected an RBI fielder's choice, scoring Caitlin Jividen (Fr./Wheeling, WV), after the Panthers loaded the bases with a walk and back-to-back singles.

Chaney blasted her second homer of the day and third of the year to left field to open the bottom of the third. Samantha Wolfe (Sr./Columbus, OH) followed with a single and came around to score on a single by Jividen after advancing on a groundout and single through the middle by Brittany Seavey (Fr./Flint, MI). The Panthers final two runs were unearned as Jividen scored on a fielding error by the third baseman and Rebekha Lucas (Fr./Laurelville, OH) scored on a passed ball after she smacked ODU's fourth single of the inning and stole second.

Sutter, Wolfe, Lucas and Seavey each finished with two hits apiece as ODU collected its third highest hits total, outhitting the Cavaliers 12-3.

Walsh took the early lead in game one, plating a run in their first at-bat on one walk and two hits, including an RBI single to left, but the Panthers quickly knotted the game in the bottom of the inning as Chaney doubled home Sutter.

The score remained until the top of the sixth when Erin Ebert gave the Cavaliers a 3-1 lead with two RBI homer to right field. Chaney led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo blast to center to pull ODU within 3-2; however the Panthers went down in order in the seventh as Walsh held on to snap a three-game skid.

Chaney finished the game 3-for-3, collecting the Panthers' lone two RBI. For the day, she was 4-for-5 overall at the plate with two homeruns, four RBI and one double.

ODU continues their stretch of home doubleheaders at 3:30 p.m. as Grand Valley State (Mich.) visits Panther Field for the first of eight GLIAC twin bills.

Contact: Bryan Desch
deschb@ohiodominican.edu