COLUMBUS, Ohio – After a weekend off, the Ohio Dominican softball team will return to Tennessee for four more games this weekend. On Saturday (February 17), the Panthers will compete against Grand Valley State and Lock Haven, with each game being the first of the season for the opponents. ODU will wrap up on Sunday (February 18) with Grand Valley State once again, and Lincoln Memorial.
About the Panthers
Ohio Dominican kicked off their season going 3-1 two weekends ago. The Black and Gold collected wins against Ferris State, Purdue Northwest, and Lincoln Memorial.
The Panthers scored a total of 18 runs over the course of the weekend, with 10 different players recording at least one. They go into this weekend with a 0.287 batting average.
Emily Walker (Plain City, Ohio) led the team with seven runs batted in and six hits. She collected one double and two triples, ending the weekend with a .545 batting average.
Alexis Stevens (Marion, Ohio) also recorded six hits, with four runs batted in. Collecting two doubles on the weekend, the senior scored four times. She also stole three bases.
Alli Madden (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Kaleigh Golden (Thornville, Ohio) each recorded four hits. Golden led the team with five runs scored, and Madden led the team with four stolen bases.
Grace Hammer (Uniontown, Ohio) went 2-0 on the weekend in the circle with one start against Ferris State. The graduate student recorded 15 strikeouts in 10.0 innings pitched with an ERA of 1.40.
Marlee Jacobs (Plain City, Ohio) also earned a win in her start against Purdue Northwest on Sunday. Like Hammer, Jacobs pitched 10.0 innings over the course of the weekend with 10 strikeouts.
About the Opponents
Grand Valley State will face the Black and Gold twice this weekend as they begin their 2024 campaign. Concluding the 2023 season 48-8 overall, and 20-1 in the GLIAC, the Lakers finished as runner-ups in the 2023 NCAA Division II Softball Championship. They are currently ranked #2 in the NFCA.
Lock Haven will also open their season against the Panthers, after ending the 2023 season 24-24, and 14-18 in the PSAC. This will be the second meeting between the Bald Eagles and the Panthers, with the first and last meeting coming in 2015 where ODU collected a 5-3 win.
Lastly, Lincoln Memorial will face Ohio Dominican for the second time this season, with the Panthers winning the first game 8-3 on February 4th. The Railsplitters are currently 4-6 heading into this weekend.
First Pitch
First pitch is set for 10:00 AM on Saturday against Grand Valley State, followed by a 12:00 PM game against Lock Haven. On Sunday, ODU faces GVSU at 2:00 PM and the host, Lincoln Memorial, at 4:00 PM.
