HARROGATE, Tenn. – On Sunday afternoon, the Ohio Dominican softball team concluded the LMU invitational with another match-up against the Saints and the Railsplitters. The Panthers came up short in both contests.

Against the Saints, Alli Madden (Cincinnati, Ohio) and McKenna Conley (Mt. Orab, Ohio) led the charge gathering two hits apiece. Senior Braxton Downs (Louisville, Ky.) notched four RBIs on the day with a double and a homerun. Alexis Stevens (Marion, Ohio) was just behind Downs by adding two RBIs and two hits.

Game One

To start the day, ODU played against Maryville in a seven-inning thriller. Senior Addison Smodilla (Terre Haute, Ind.) started on the mound and retired the first three Saints batters. In the bottom of the frame, Madden led off with a hit through the left side, but the Panthers couldn't convert a run.

Maryville scored first in the top of the fourth inning after stringing two hits together. The Black and Gold matched the Saints after a single up the middle from Kendrick Sterling (Crothersville, Ind.) drove in their first run. MU added two more in the top of the fifth to extend their lead to 3-1.

Ohio Dominican answered with a five-run inning. Saadie Maysonet (Worthington, Ohio) got it started with a walk, followed by a single from Conley, and a walk from Kaleigh Golden (Thornville, Ohio) to set the plate for ODU. Stevens came to the plate and drove in two, followed by a three-run homerun from Downs.

The Panthers continued to roll in the bottom of the sixth inning with hits from Olivia Congleton (Belpre, Ohio), Conley, Madden, and Golden, driving in four runs to grow the Black and Gold's lead to 10-3 entering the final inning of play. Maryville rallied in the top of the seventh collecting 10 hits and totaling 12 runs to take the game 15-10.

Game Two

The Black and Gold struck first against Lincoln Memorial after Downs drove in Golden in the first inning. The Railsplitters answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame. ODU grabbed hits in both the second and third innings but left them stranded. LMU had the hot bats in the bottom of the third frame adding four runs off of five hits, bringing their lead to 6-1.

Lincoln Memorial continued their offensive presence by tallying three runs and four hits in the next two innings to take the game 9-1.

Up Next

Ohio Dominican will look for redemption next weekend at the Charger Chillout in Albertville, Alabama Friday, Feb. 10 to Sunday, Feb. 12, where they'll play five games over the weekend.

Contact: Bailee Worley
worleyb@ohiodominican.edu