COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio Dominican's softball ball team had the go-ahead run on base in game one and sent the go-ahead run to the plate in game two against Hillsdale (Mich.) on a chilly Sunday afternoon at Panther Field, but could not generate the timely hitting as the Panthers dropped a pair of one-run decisions, 6-5 and 4-3.

With their second sweep in as many days, the Chargers improve to 7-12 overall and 4-2 in the GLIAC, while ODU falls to 6-18 and 1-5 in conference play.

Hillsdale opened the afternoon with a quick 5-0 lead through the first two innings of game one and tacked on what proved to be the winning run in the fourth as the Panthers could only muster one hit over the first four innings.

ODU's bats finally began to heat up in the fifth as the 7-8-9 hitters Brooke McCartney (So./Salem, OH), Rebekha Lucas (Fr./Laurelville, OH) and Brittany Seavey (Fr./Flint, MI) all singled. Erin Sutter (Jr./Mansfield, OH) grounded out to second to score McCartney and Kylee Crislip (Jr./Louisville, OH) scored the other two with a single through the middle.

The Panthers continued to swing a hot stick adding two more runs on four hits in the bottom of the sixth. Caitlin Chaney (Jr./Newark, OH) led off with a single and came around to score on following a wild pitch, single by Seavey and a throwing error by the catcher. McCartney followed with a single to left and advanced to second on the throw. After another wild pitch, Lucas drove in McCartney with single up the middle.

Relief pitcher Maria Staton (Sr./New Bremen, OH) kept the Chargers bats silent for much of the game, allowing just six hits and one earned run over 5.1 innings of work, striking out four, but ODU stranded the tying run on second base in the bottom of the seventh as Hillsdale overcame three errors to secure the win.

McCartney, Lucas, and Seavey finished a combined 5-for-10 with four runs scored and one RBI. Crislip and Chaney also collected a pair of hits, while Crislip had a team-high two RBI.

After a scoreless first inning in game two, Samantha Wolfe (Sr./Columbus, OH) led off the top of the second with her third homerun of the year, a solo shot to left center for the 1-0 lead. The Chargers quickly tied it up, scoring a run in the bottom of the inning on a double play ball.

Following a Crislip single to left field, Chaney lined a two-out double to right center to put the Panthers back on top 2-1. The score remained until the bottom of the fourth when Hillsdale sent across two runners on a double, two singles and a SAC-fly.

The Chargers added an insurance run in the sixth with a lead-off homerun to right center to extend the lead to 4-3. ODU rallied in the seventh as Caitlin Jividen (Fr./Wheeling, WV) and Danyelle Delligatta (Fr./Sidney, OH) each doubled, scoring Jividen. Shana Etter (Sr./Tuslaw, OH) pinch ran for Delligatta and advanced to third on a passed ball, but the tying run would remain 60 feet away as Hillsdale collected the final two outs for the win.

Crislip once again led the Panthers at the dish finishing 3-for-3 with one run scored, while Jividen was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Crislip has now hit safely in seven straight games and finished the weekend hitting 13-for-22 (.591) with 10 RBI and an .818 slugging percentage.

ODU steps out of conference for a mid-week doubleheader at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30 as former AMC opponent, Shawnee State, visits Panther Field.

Contact: Bryan Desch
deschb@ohiodominican.edu