HARROGATE, Tenn. – The Ohio Dominican softball team opened their season at the Lincoln Memorial Invitational in Harrogate, Tennessee on Saturday. The Black and Gold fell to #20 Lincoln Memorial, 3-2, and to Maryville, 3-1.

Junior Alexis Stevens (Marion, Ohio) led the day with three hits, snagging two in the first game. Freshman Kendrick Sterling (Crothersville, Ind.) followed with two hits, both coming in the night game. On the mound, Addison Smodilla (Terre Haute, Ind.) collected five strikeouts against LMU. 

Game One

The Panthers faced Lincoln Memorial to start the day. The Railsplitters scored first in the second inning off a throwing error. The Panthers answered in the fourth inning, taking the lead 2-1. Stevens led off with a double followed by Olivia Congleton (Belpre, Ohio) getting on base by a hit-by-pitch. Sterling loads the bases after getting walked. With Panthers everywhere, Saadie Maysonet (Worthington, Ohio) singles to center field, driving in two.

LMU answered with another score off a double, tying it up at 2-all in the bottom of the fourth. The next three innings went scoreless, taking the game into extras. The Black and Gold went three and out. In the bottom of the eighth, the Railsplitters moved their runner with a SAC bunt, ultimately scoring off a single to second.

Game Two

During the nightcap, the Saints struck first in a strong second inning. Maryville strung four hits together to take a 3-0 lead over the Panthers. In the top of the fourth, Stevens singled to center field but was stranded at second.

The Black and Gold made a last-minute rally in the top of the seventh as Anna Darrah (Canton, Ohio) reached first on an error. A single from Sterling advanced pinch runner Gracie Jo Thompson (Ashville, Ohio) to second. With runners on first and second, McKenna Conley (Mt. Orab, Ohio) puts the ball in play to score Thompson on a fielder's choice. ODU ran out of steam and fell in the second game 3-1.

 Up Next

The Black and Gold return to the diamond tomorrow for a rematch first with Maryville at 11:30 AM and then Lincoln Memorial at 2:00 PM.

Contact: Bailee Worley
worleyb@ohiodominican.edu