COLUMBUS, Ohio – Timely hitting and two strong pitching performances carried Ohio Dominican's softball team to a sweep of visiting Wheeling Jesuit by scores of 7-1 and 7-2 on Thursday afternoon at Panther Field.

With winds gusting over 30 miles per hour and periods of rain, the Panthers improved to 11-11 on the season and are 10-3 in their last 13 games.

In game one, freshman Abby Lamping (Cleves, Ohio) won her sixth straight start as she worked 5.0 innings, allowing eight hits and one earned run. She threw just 53 pitches (34 strikes) in improving to 7-2 on the season.

Freshman Kylie Dempsey (Liberty Township, Ohio) had an RBI single up the middle in the second inning to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead. After Lamping worked out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the third, senior Brier Sanner (Hartville, Ohio) smashed a two-out, two-run double to center field to extend the lead to 3-0.

The Panthers had more two-out success in the fourth inning as senior Montana Fishel (Gahanna, Ohio) scored on a wild pitch and senior Kelsey Albanese (Westerville, Ohio) had an RBI single to plate sophomore Taylor Kline (Bellville, Ohio) and put ODU in front 5-0.

The Cardinals scored a run in the fifth inning but Lamping again stranded three runners on base as she ended the threat with a groundout, and ODU tacked on insurance runs in the sixth inning on RBI basehits by sophomore Liz Sutter (Mansfield, Ohio) and sophomore Haley Earl (Dyer, Ind.).

The Panthers tallied 11 hits in the opener as Kline, Sutter and Dempsey each had two. Kline and Albanese each scored a pair of runs as well.

ODU trailed 2-1 in game two, but a four-run fourth inning flipped the script and helped carry the Panthers to the sweep.

Junior Casey Murdoch (Morrow, Ohio) doubled, Dempsey walked on four pitches and Fishel reached on a beautiful bunt in front of the plate to load the bases with one out. Kline drew a walk to even the score, and after a fielder's choice grounder, senior Julia Suyak (Trenton, Mich.) stepped to the plate with two outs.

She got ahead 2-0 in the count and delivered a bases clearing double to left-center to put the Panthers in front 5-2 heading into the fifth.

Still with that 5-2 advantage in the bottom of the sixth, freshman Kelly Mix (Baltimore, Ohio) stepped to the box as a pinch hitter and hit a two-run single through the right side to put the game away for ODU.

Murdoch was magnificent in relief, tossing 5.0 shutout innings and striking out a career high six batters. She allowed just two hits and did not walk a batter, throwing 41 of her 64 pitches for strikes.

Kline went 2-for-3 with a walk and scored three runs while also stealing two bases. She has reached base in each of the last 18 games for ODU.

Suyak finished 2-for-4 and Fishel went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. ODU outhit the Cardinals 9-5 in the second game.

The Panthers travel to Cedarville for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu