FINDLAY, Ohio – Ohio Dominican's softball team ran into some hot bats Friday afternoon at Findlay, particularly that of sophomore Brittany Dauterman, as the Oilers took the first two games of the four-game series, 7-3 and 13-4 in six innings.

After winning four of five, including their last three, the Panthers fall to 11-35 overall and 6-22 in the GLIAC with the setbacks, while Findlay improves to 22-10 and 10-17 in the conference following a 2-8 stretch.

Dauterman, from the designated player position, went 4-for-7 on the day with three homeruns, including a pair of three-run blasts, and drove in nine of the Oilers' 20 total runs.

Findlay, behind the first of Dauterman's three-run shots, grabbed the early 3-0 advantage after the first inning of game one. Following a scoreless second and third frames, ODU got on the board with two runs in the top of the fourth. Juniors Erin Sutter (Mansfield, OH) and Kylee Crislip (Louisville, OH) reached on back-to-back one-out walks and after a fly out, junior Caitlin Chaney (Newark, OH) brought them home with double to right center.

The Oilers responded with their second three-run inning in the fifth as five consecutive one-out singles brought the score to 6-2. Sophomore Brooke McCartney (Salem, OH) scored Sutter in the sixth with a one-out RBI single to left to close the score to 6-3, but Dauterman's second homer of the game, a lead-off shot to center in the bottom of the sixth sealed the win.

It was déjà vu for Findlay in the start of game two as the first two batters reached base in the top of the first and came home on Dauterman's second three-RBI long ball of the afternoon. ODU made it 3-1 after the first as Crislip reached on a two-out double to right, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on wild pitch.

The Oilers added a run in the second and seven runs on five hits in the third to extend the lead 11-1. The Panthers closed within 11-3 with a pair of runs in the fifth as Crislip scored on an error by the second baseman after reaching on a two-out walk and advancing on a McCartney double to right center. Senior Cassandra Weitz (Dayton, OH) followed with an RBI base-hit to shortstop, scoring McCartney. However, two runs in the sixth gave Findlay the six-inning victory.

With three hits and an RBI, McCartney extended her hitting streak to a season-best nine games, while Crislip finished a combined 3-for-4 at the plate with one RBI, three runs scored and a pair of walks.

The Panthers will look to salvage a series split as the teams conclude the series tomorrow with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Anderson Field.

Contact: Bryan Desch
deschb@ohiodominican.edu