CANTON, Ohio – The Ohio Dominican softball team traveled to Malone University this afternoon. The Pioneers took game one, 5-2, but the Panthers snagged game two, 12-3.

Kaleigh Golden (Thornville, Ohio) and Olivia Congleton (Belpre, Ohio) both grabbed four hits on the day. Golden went 4-7 with a walk, a stolen base, and accounted for four runs. Congleton went 4-8 with two doubles and a home run. The sophomore had three runs batted in and scored twice.

Erica Massey (Independence, Ohio) added three hits on the day. Senior Gracie Jo Thompson (Ashville, Ohio) had two doubles and scored twice.

In the circle, Addison Smodilla (Terre Haute, Ind.) picked up a win. The graduate student pitched 4.0 innings and had a strikeout. Grace Hammer (Uniontown, Ohio) came in relief to record five strikeouts. Marlee Jacobs (Plain City, Ohio) pitched 6.0 innings and collected eight strikeouts.

Game One
Golden opened the game with a single and later came around to score thanks to a Congleton double. The Black and Gold plated another run off an error, making it 2-0 early. The Pioneers tied it up in the bottom of the frame with four hits.

Golden tabbed her second hit of the game in the top of the third but was stranded at second. Malone added a run and three hits in the bottom of the fifth to take a 3-2 lead. Liana Morreale (Gibsonia, Pa.) had a pinch hit double in the top of the sixth but was left at second.

The Pioneers added more runs in the bottom of the sixth off two hits and a Panther error, extending their lead to 5-2. In their last at bat, Addie Triplett (Johnstown, Ohio) and Massey both singled but couldn't come around to score.

Game Two
Once again, ODU jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. Alexis Stevens (Marion, Ohio) had an RBI single, and the Pioneers committed four errors. MU scored one in the bottom of the second to make it 2-1.

In the top of the third, a solo shot from Congleton made it 3-1. The Panthers had a strong fourth inning, collecting six hits including doubles from Stevens and Congleton. ODU added five runs to extend their lead to 8-1. Malone cut into their deficit in the bottom of the frame, scoring one to make it 8-2.

Thompson began the fifth inning with a double and later scored thanks to a Morreale sacrifice fly. Two innings later, Thompson doubled again followed by a Massey single. Both scored off a Shelby Flynn (Heath, Ohio) triple, making it 11-2. ODU made it 12-2 with an RBI single from Morreale. Malone had a solo home run in their final at bat, but the rally ended there, resulting in a sweep for the series.

Up Next
Ohio Dominican heads to the other side of town to take on the Cavaliers of Walsh on Saturday.