COLUMBUS, Ohio - Thanks to another dominant pitching performance by the Ashland staff, Ohio Dominican's softball team was swept in Sunday's Senior Day doubleheader at Panther Field, 14-0 and 2-1.

The South Division leading Eagles (21-9, 13-1 GLIAC) provided starting pitcher Emlyn Knerem with more than enough runs in game one as they sent two across in the first, seven in the second and five more in the third on nine hits, including a two-run homer to left center and a grand slam to straight away center for the 14-0 advantage.

Knerem, however only needed one as she played havoc on the ODU lineup, throwing a perfect game on only 58 pitches, 47 for strikes, while striking out seven in the shortened five-inning affair.

ODU (7-27, 2-14 GLIAC) quickly laid to rest the chances of another perfect game in the top of the first of game two as senior Jennifer Baker (Cortland, OH) followed an Erin Sutter (Jr./Mansfield, OH) walk with an infield single. The Panthers left two runners on base in the inning, but senior starting pitcher Maria Staton (New Bremen, OH) went toe-to-toe with Eagles pitcher Logan Hursey as she allowed just four hits and one run over the first five innings, the only blemish a lead-off homer to centerfield in the third.

A sacrifice-fly to center by Brooke McCartney (So./Salem, OH) that plated Baker in the top of the sixth tied the game at 1-1. After Staton stranded two runners in the bottom of the inning, senior Samantha Wolfe (Columbus, OH) led off the seventh with a triple past a diving right fielder. However, the go-ahead run was left 60 feet away as Knerem came on in relief and struck out the side.

Ashland opened the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back singles. Following a groundout to second advancing the runners, Brianna Woody squeaked a single through the left side to plate the game-winning run and give the Eagles their second sweep in as many days

Baker collected two of the Panthers' three hits, finishing 2-for-3 at the plate and a run scored.

ODU hits the road next weekend for a six-game, three-day Michigan conference swing beginning at 3:30 p.m. this Friday with a doubleheader at Lake Superior State.

Contact: Bryan Desch
deschb@ohiodominican.edu