CLERMONT, Fla. — Three runs in the top of the seventh inning earned Ohio Dominican's softball team a 3-2 victory over Bemidji State following a 6-1 defeat to Illinois-Springfield on Monday at the NTC Spring Games.

Trailing 1-0 in the top of the seventh inning with two outs, junior Liz Sutter (Mansfield, Ohio) singled through the right side to keep the inning alive. Then junior Taylor Kline (Bellville, Ohio) singled for a bunt in the next at bat to advance Sutter to second. Senior Kelly Wallace (Oshkosh, Wisconsin) did the rest, singling to score Sutter and advancing to third base on the throw with Kline scoring on an error by the catcher to give ODU a 2-1 lead. Wallace would score from third on a passed ball in the next at bat, and the Panthers took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning.

In the bottom of the seventh leading 3-2 with one out, junior pitcher Bailey Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio) forced a fly out to right fielder Kelly Mix (Baltimore, Ohio), who threw to Sutter at second to pick-off the Bemidji State runner, ending the game and earning the win for the Panthers, 3-2.

Wallace went 3-for-4 and finished with a hit for the sixth-consecutive game. In the last six contests for ODU, Wallace is 12-for-23 with nine RBIs.

Kline finished 2-for-4 and recorded her ninth stolen base of the season. Freshman Natalie Henson (Troy, Ohio) went 2-for-3 with one stolen base.

Illinois-Springfield defeated the Panthers by a final score of 6-1 in game one on Monday. ODU was held to just three hits by Stars' junior pitcher Ali Haesele, who has held the opposition to five hits or less in her last five contests.

Wallace recorded one hit in the contest. Kline finished with one hit and one stolen base, and Henson also finished with one hit for ODU.

Trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Kline singled to left center and then stole second to get into scoring position. Then in the next at bat, Wallace singled to score Kline, cutting the Ohio Dominican deficit to just 4-1.

But the Panthers were held to just one run by Haesele and fell by a final score of 6-1 to Illinois-Springfield.  

Ohio Dominican (9-9, 0-0 GLIAC) continues play at the NTC Spring Games on Tuesday with contests against Charleston (W.V.) at 8 a.m. and Truman at 3:30 p.m.

Contact: Aaron McPherson
mcphersa@ohiodominican.edu