COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Dominican softball team split a Senior Day doubleheader against Cedarville Saturday afternoon, winning Game One 9-4, before falling 6-0 in Game Two.

The Panthers (23-15, 12-8 G-MAC) collected 13 hits in the opener, a game they rallied back from a 4-0 deficit after 1.5 innings of play. Ohio Dominican's rally began in bottom of the second, scoring three runs on four hits.

Seniors Raemon Meents (Downers Grove, Ill.) and Carson Hackerd (Frankfort, Ind.), and sophomore Madison Shemwell (Owensboro, Ky.) each had run-scoring hits in the frame, highlighted by Hackerd's double to left field.

On a day when ODU honored its five seniors, Hackerd, Meents and senior Kristen Bales (Pickerington, Ohio) each posted three or more hits over the doubleheader. Hackerd joined Shemwell with a 4-for-6 effort to lead the offensive attack.

Seniors Allison Fathbruckner (Delaware, Ohio) and Haley Goodburn (Dublin, Ohio) were also honored after the conclusion of play Saturday for their hard work and dedication to the ODU softball program.

Still trailing, ODU's offensive attack picked back up in the fourth frame, as five of the first six batters to the plate for the Panthers reached safely. Hackerd drove in two more runs with a base hit to right, while scoring on fielder's choice by sophomore Braxton Downs (Prospect, Ky.). Shemwell also scored on the ball put in play by Downs, giving the Black & Gold a 7-4 advantage.

Junior Sydney Long (Ashland, Ohio) bounced back from a slow start, allowing just two hits over the final five innings of play. Long had a stretch of nine consecutive batters retired from the second through fifth innings.

With ODU now in the lead, Long retired the Yellow Jackets (20-20, 9-13 G-MAC) in order in the third, fourth and seventh innings. The junior struck out five batters in the complete game performance, and induced three straight ground ball outs to secure the win in the top of the seventh.

The Panthers added one run in the fifth and sixth innings, as Shemwell and freshman Alexis Stevens (Marion, Ohio) each drove in a run.

Game Two saw the Black & Gold register just five hits over seven innings, as CU blanked the Panthers 6-0. The Yellow Jackets hit two home runs in the game, as they scored two runs in the top of the first, three in the sixth, and one insurance run in the seventh.

ODU had its first chance to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third, as two runners were on with two outs. A ground out though ended the Panther threat.

A pair of singles in the final inning had Panthers everywhere with just one out. Again though, the scoring chance did not result in runs, as a fielder's choice and infield pop out concluded the game.

Ohio Dominican, who opened the week with a 4-3 win over nationally-ranked No. 5 UIndy, will look to close out the regular season strong on Sunday, May 2, with a noon doubleheader against Hillsdale.

Contact: Tyler Jester

jestert@ohiodominican.edu