COLUMBUS, Ohio — With a two-game sweep of Alderson Broaddus on Saturday at Panther Field, Ohio Dominican's softball team matched its longest winning streak since joining NCAA Division II, notching its seventh and eighth consecutive victories in a row by scores of 8-0 (5 innings) and 11-1 in a Great Midwest Athletic Conference doubleheader.

The Panthers (18-15, 8-2) continue to dominate their opponents as of late, outscoring the opposition in their last eight games by an astounding 69-8 margin. ODU is 6-0 in the month of April and have held their last five opponents to no more than three runs in a game. The last time the Panthers won eight in a row was in the 2012 season.

In game one, the Panthers scored eight runs on 13 hits while holding AB to just two hits for the contest.

Seniors Taylor Kline (Bellville, Ohio) and Liz Sutter (Mansfield, Ohio) and sophomores Taylor Farmer (Mt. Blanchard, Ohio) and Landry Slider (Stow, Ohio) each went 2-for-3 at the plate, with Barber and Slider each notching two RBIs apiece. Kline, junior Kelly Mix (Baltimore, Ohio) and freshmen Kristen Bales (Pickerington, Ohio) and Carson Hackerd (Frankfort, Indiana) all recorded one RBI.

Junior Abby Lamping (Cleves, Ohio) pitched her ninth complete game of the season, earning her seventh win while not allowing an earned run for the contest.

ODU scored all eight of its runs in the fourth inning. A single by Barber put the first runner of the inning on base for the Panthers, then an RBI triple by Bales scored Barber to put the Panthers ahead, 1-0. After a single and stolen base by Sutter, a two-RBI single by Slider scored both Sutter and Bales to push the lead to 3-0.

Later in the inning, a double to center by Hackerd allowed Slider to score and increase the advantage to 4-0. Kline and Mix each tallied RBI singles to make it 6-0, then a two-run homer by Farmer to right center pushed the lead to 8-0.

Lamping continued to pitch well in the circle, earning the shutout win in five innings, 8-0.

Ohio Dominican recorded 11 runs on 13 hits while holding the Battlers to just four hits and one home run. Sophomore Cameron Barber (Powell, Ohio) picked up her eighth win of the year, going all seven innings to record her 10th complete game, tallying nine strikeouts along the way. She also went 3-for-5 at the plate, notching one RBI. Mix hit her seventh career home run, a grand slam to record four RBIs. Junior Maria Simmonds (Columbus, Ohio) recorded a two-RBI single, while Kline and Sutter also picked up one RBI apiece for the Panthers.

ODU led 1-0 after one and scored six runs in the top of the second to take a commanding 7-0 lead. With Sutter on second, Simmonds notched a single to left to score her and push the lead to 2-0. Then later in the inning with the bases loaded, Mix hit a blast to left center with the bases loaded, giving ODU a commanding 6-0 lead. An RBI single later in the inning by Sutter scored Barber to make it 7-0 Panthers. Ohio Dominican went on to score four more runs in the top of the seventh, and Barber struck out the AB batter to end the game by a final score of 11-1.

Another stretch of home contests is on deck for ODU. No. 11 Indianapolis comes to town on Wednesday before the Panthers host Urbana in a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday. Next weekend, Kentucky Wesleyan and Trevecca Nazarene will make the trip to Columbus for G-MAC contests.

Contact: Aaron McPherson
mcphersa@ohiodominican.edu