EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Ohio Dominican's softball team earned a hard-fought, 7-6 win over Drury and fell to Bellarmine by a final score of 9-0 in five innings on Sunday in final day competition at the Midwest Region Crossover at the University of Southern Indiana.

In game one of the day against Drury, ODU (5-7, 0-0 GLIAC) saw eight batters record nine total hits to key a 7-6 win. Sophomore Kelly Mix (Baltimore, Ohio) went 1-for-3 with 2 RBIs. Junior Taylor Kline (Bellville, Ohio) stole two bases and recorded one hit on the afternoon. Senior Kelly Wallace (Oshkosh, Wisconsin) went 2-for-4 with one RBI, and freshman Jordan Nichols (Peotone, Illinois) recorded an RBI single in the top of the sixth inning to break a 6-6 tie.

The Panthers trailed 1-0 going into the top of the third, but a single to left center field by Mix with one out scored Wallace and freshman Landry Slider (Stow, Ohio) to build a 2-1 lead for ODU.

Ohio Dominican added to its lead in the top of the fourth, scoring four runs to take a 6-1 lead. Sophomore Maria Simmonds (Columbus, Ohio) led off the inning with a double to right field, then a single and stolen base by junior Liz Sutter (Mansfield, Ohio) put runners on second and third for Kline, who reached on an error by the second baseman that allowed Simmonds to score and increase the Panther advantage to 3-1. Another error later in the inning allowed Sutter to score, then a double to center field by Wallace scored Kline to build Ohio Dominican's lead to 5-1. Slider would score later in the inning to take a 6-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth for the Panthers.

Drury responded in the bottom of the fifth with five runs to tie the game at 6-6, but Nichols would drive in the run Ohio Dominican needed. With Kline on third base with two outs, Nichols delivered a single to left center field that scored Kline and pushed the Panthers back ahead, 7-6.

Sophomore Abby Lamping (Cleves, Ohio) closed the contest for the Panthers and earned the win, recording six strikeouts in 2.2 innings to help the Panthers to a 7-6 victory.

Bellarmine topped the Panthers by a final score of 9-0 in five innings in game two for ODU on Sunday. Ohio Dominican defeated Bellarmine 3-1 on Sunday, February 19 in the Music City Invitational.

ODU recorded five hits, but five Panther errors helped the Knights accrue nine runs for the contest.

ODU's softball squad will be back in action on Sunday, March 5, when it travels to Bellarmine for doubleheader contests.

Contact: Aaron McPherson
mcphersa@ohiodominican.edu