WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Ohio Dominican softball team dropped a pair of games on the final day of the Rebel Spring Games to No. 18 Caldwell and Florida Southern.

The Panthers are now 4-18 on the season.

In the 6-5, eight inning loss to Caldwell, the Cougars scored two runs in the bottom of the second to take an early 2-0 lead. The Panthers cut that lead in half after a two-out RBI double by junior Brier Sanner (Hartville, Ohio).

In the bottom of the second, Caldwell tacked on three runs to extend its lead to 5-1 and ODU scored a run in the top of the sixth to cut the lead to 5-2.

The Panthers used a big inning in the seventh to even the score 5-5 after scoring three runs on two hits. Junior Kelsey Seeds (Westerville, Ohio) hit a leadoff single to the outfield, followed by a walk by junior Taylor Thomas (Bellville, Ohio). Freshman Allie Hinton (Newcomerstown, Ohio) blasted a homerun to left field to bat in three RBI.

In extra innings, it was the Cougars who came away victorious, capitalizing on a Panther throwing error to score the game-winning run.

Seeds was 3-for-5 from the plate while sophomore Kelsey Albanese (Westerville, Ohio) and Sanner each added two.

Game two for the Panthers was a high scoring affair with ODU on the wrong end of the scoring, falling to Florida Southern 14-8.

10 runs were scored in the first two innings with the Panthers leading 6-4. The Mocs regained the lead in the top of the fourth, scoring two runs on three hits.

In the top of the fifth, Florida Southern tacked on five runs to extend its lead 11-6. ODU rallied back in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring two runs thanks to RBI's by Hinton and Albanese. However, the two were not enough as the Mocs scored three runs in the top of the seventh to insure the 14-8 victory.

Thomas had three hits for the Panthers with three RBI while Albanese and Seeds added two hits apiece.

The Panthers will start conference play next weekend against Lake Superior and Northwood.

Contact: Sarah Twiggs
twiggss@ohiodominican.edu