COLUMBUS, Ohio – Another busy week is ahead for the Ohio Dominican softball team as they have eight games on the docket. The Panthers will close out their ten-game home slate before becoming road warriors to wrap up their road schedule.

The Black and Gold will host Walsh University on Tuesday (April 18) before heading to Ursuline College the next day (April 19). The road trip continues that weekend with the Panthers heading to Trevecca Nazarene University on Saturday (April 22) and then to Kentucky Wesleyan College on Sunday (April 23).

Opening First Pitch

• The Black and Gold remain the top team in the conference with a 10-2 record and an overall mark of 23-16.
• Over the course of last week, the team hit 16 doubles by nine different players, bringing their season total to 49, ranking fourth best in the conference.
• Senior Braxton Downs (Louisville, Ky.) had the best week at the plate, collecting 12 hits, including four doubles and a homerun, and 12 runs batted in. Downs leads the G-MAC in RBIs with 38 this season. The Kentucky native also stole two bases and accounted for four runs.
• Middle infielder Alexis Stevens (Marion, Ohio) also recorded 12 hits over the eight games. Stevens had a double, five RBIs, and went 5-5 on stolen bases. The junior scored 10 runs, putting her third in the conference with 35 runs scored this spring.
• Alongside Downs, Kaleigh Golden (Thornville, Ohio) recorded four doubles over the week. The sophomore remains in the top-five in the conference for hits with a team high of 51.
• In the circle, Marlee Jocobs (Plain City, Ohio) recorded a 3-1 record, bringing her season record to 15-4. The freshman snagged 18 strikeouts with four starts and four complete games, pitching 27.0 innings. Jacobs netted a 1.30 ERA, putting her season ERA to 1.79, fourth best in the G-MAC.
• Senior Addison Smodilla (Terre Haute, Ind.) went 2-2 in her four starts, pitching 25.2 innings with six strikeouts and a 1.91 ERA.
• The Panthers post a 0.310 batting average, third best in the Great Midwest, and remain at the top in double plays turned with 15.

About Walsh

• The Cavaliers hold a 15-15 overall record with a 9-5 mark in conference play, sitting tied for fifth in the standings. ODU is 13-8 against WU in the Division II Era with a sweep in last season's series.
• Junior Sydney McKeever registers a team-high batting average of .431, ranking fifth in the conference.  McKeever has the third best on base percentage (0.494) and has 23 stolen bases.
• Sophomore Kaylee Nolte leads the team with 21 runs batted in and three homeruns. Following her is senior Sarah Moats with 20 RBIs and three triples.
• On the rubber, Sara Gockenbach holds a 6-5 record with 45 strikeouts in 57.2 innings pitched. Freshman Lindsey Leeds has a 4.02 ERA with a 3-0 record, posting 14 strikeouts in 31.1 innings pitched.  
• Walsh has the fifth best batting average in the conference (.287) and is third in stolen bases per game (1.39).

About Ursuline

• The Arrows are 0-29 this spring and 0-14 in the G-MAC. Ohio Dominican is 7-3 against Ursuline with winning the last four contests.
• Freshman Casey Barton records a team high batting average of .257. Barton has a double, a triple, and two stolen bases. Kristin Kopp follows her with two doubles, a homerun, and four RBIs.
• In the circle, freshman Danielle Hoffman notched 21 strikeouts in 35.0 innings pitched. Fellow pitcher, Tara Backherms has 14 strikeouts and a 5.05 ERA.

About Trevecca

• The Trojans sit second in the conference with a mark of 13-3 and an overall record of 29-11. ODU is 9-8 against TNU, winning the last six games. The Panthers have defeated the Trojans in back-to-back Great Midwest Championship games to win the tournament.
• TNU holds the second best batting average in the conference (.324) along with the best team ERA (1.65).
• Both Kendall Andrews and Anna Bennett lead a number on categories in the conference, posting the two best batting averages on the team. Andrews has a .441 batting average and is first in triples with seven. Bennett has a .425 batting average and leads the conference with 14 doubles.
• Pitcher Ashlan Sensing is second in the conference with 139 strikeouts. The sophomore has a 14-6 record in the circle, pitching 135.0 innings and a 1.24 ERA.
• Junior Alex Behnke has recorded 41 strikeouts in 65.1 innings pitched. Behnke holds an 11-5 record on the rubber with a 2.25 ERA.
• The Trojans host the Yellow Jackets of Cedarville on Friday afternoon before welcoming the Panthers on Saturday.

About Ky. Wesleyan

• The Purple Panthers are 9-36 overall with a 0-16 record in the Great Midwest. Ohio Dominican is 10-5 against Ky. Wesleyan with back-to-back sweeps in the last two seasons.
• Freshman Megan Matheis leads her team and the conference with a .454 batting average and 64 hits.  Matheis is second in RBIs with 36, following Braxton Downs.
• Junior Allie Dunn has a 6-19 record in the circle, netting 79 strikeouts in 144.0 innings pitched. Dunn holds a team best ERA of 6.42. Fellow pitcher, Immi Mann has 49 strikeouts in 116.0 innings pitched. Mann is 3016 on the mound and has a 7.84 ERA.
• KWC hosts Cedarville on Saturday before hosting ODU on Sunday.

Weekend Schedule

The series with Walsh is set for 3:00 PM on Tuesday afternoon at Panther field. The Arrows welcome the Panthers for a 3:00 PM start time at Ursuline Softball Field on Wednesday. The Black and Gold then travels to Trevecca for a 1:00 PM first pitch at Trevecca Sports Complex. Ohio Dominican wraps up the week and their road schedule with Ky. Wesleyan on Sunday with a 1:00 PM first game at Jack C. Fisher Park.