COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio Dominican's softball team battled to a split in its doubleheader against Wayne State (Mich.) at Panther Field on Saturday afternoon, coming from behind to earn a 4-2 decision in game one, before falling 9-5 in the nightcap.

With the split, ODU is now 7-19 and 2-6 in the GLIAC, while Wayne St. sits 15-13 overall and 3-3 in conference play.

The Warriors opened Saturday's action with an RBI single to right field in the top of the first inning for the early 1-0 lead in game one. The Panthers tied it up in the bottom of the second as Brooke McCartney (So./Salem, OH) led off with a single through the right side, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Cassandra Weitz (Sr./Dayton, OH) and came around to score on a throwing error by the third baseman.

The score remained tied until the bottom of the fifth when Caitlin Jividen (Fr./Wheeling, WV) smacked a lead-off, first pitch solo homerun to right center to give ODU their first lead of the ballgame, 2-1.

WSU tied it back up in the top of the sixth as an RBI double down the left field line scored the lead off batter who advanced to second following a sacrifice bunt. ODU quickly responded with two runs on three hits in the bottom of the inning to go on top 4-2. McCartney and Weitz opened the inning just as they did in the second with a single and sacrifice bunt. Jividen scored McCartney with a single to left and after groundout advanced Jividen into scoring position, Brittany Seavey (Fr./Flint, MI) brought her home with a single to right center.

The Warriors opened the seventh with a single, but three straight outs allowed the Panthers to hold on for the 4-2 victory. Maria Staton (Sr./New Bremen, OH) picked up the win in relief, giving up just one earned run on four hits in 4.2 innings of work, while striking out three.

Jividen and McCartney each went 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored to lead ODU, while Jividen collected two of the three Panthers' RBI.

ODU came out swinging to start the second game as Erin Sutter (Jr./Mansfield, OH) and Jennifer Baker (Sr./Cortland, OH) opened with back-to-back singles and advanced to second and third on a double steal. Sutter came home on a passed ball and one pitch later Baker scored on a wild pitch to give the Panthers the early 2-0 advantage.

Following a pair of singles and two fly ball outs, Steph Foreman drilled a three-run homerun to right center to put the Warriors ahead 3-2 in their next at-bat.

The Panthers could only muster three hits over the next three innings and the score remained until the bottom of the fourth when WSU posted its second three-run inning of the game. Two singles sandwiched around a SAC-bunt and an ODU fielding error plated the first run, while a sacrifice-fly to left field and a double down the left field line plated the other two for a 6-2 Warrior lead.

ODU cut into the lead in top of the fifth as Kylee Crislip (Jr./Louisville, OH) singled home Rebekha Lucas (Fr./Laurelville, OH) after she reached on a fielding error by the shortstop. A second Warrior error allowed Baker to reach base and after advancing to third on Crislip's single, she came around to score on a passed ball.

Wayne State added an insurance run in the fifth and two more in the sixth as they collected six hits and took advantage of two Panther errors to stretch the lead to 9-4. After leaving the bases loaded in the sixth, ODU added a run in the seventh as Caitlin Chaney (Jr./Newark, OH) hit a two-out double to center field and scored on fielding error, but that would be all for the Panthers as the Warriors took the 9-5, game-two win.

McCartney led a trio of Panthers with multi-hit efforts, going 3-for-4 at the plate, while Baker and Crislip each collected two hits.

The teams will conclude their four-game series tomorrow with game one of the doubleheader slated for 12 p.m. at Panther Field.

Contact: Bryan Desch
deschb@ohiodominican.edu