COLUMBUS, OH - On a beautiful, sunny day with a temperature of 67 degrees, the Ohio Dominican softball team welcomed the Charleston Eagles to Panther Field in Columbus for a rescheduled doubleheader. The Panthers started strong in game one, earning a 6-0 win. However, in the second game, they fell 10-5 to wrap up the day. 

Game One (W, 6-0) 

Freshman Emma Grau took the mound for the Panthers in game one, delivering an outstanding performance. She pitched a complete seven-inning game, allowing just one hit with no walks or errors while striking out seven of the 22 batters she faced. Grau carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. 

Offensively, Ohio Dominican tallied 11 hits, driving in six runs with six RBIs. Liana Morreale, Erica Massey, and Kendrick Sterling each recorded two hits, while Olivia Congleton (home run), Lilly Irvine, Avery Mueller, Emily Holland, and Leea Ibarra each contributed one hit. 

The Panthers wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, striking in the first inning. Erica Massey crossed home plate when Kendrick Sterling delivered an RBI single to center field. Avery Mueller followed with another RBI single to center, bringing in Sterling. The inning concluded with Emily Holland driving in Lilly Irvine with a single to second base, making it a 3-0 lead. 

Ohio Dominican extended its lead in the third inning when Olivia Congleton launched a solo home run on the first pitch she saw, pushing the score to 4-0. The Panthers added two more insurance runs in the fourth—Liana Morreale doubled to left field to bring in Ibarra, and Erica Massey capped off the scoring with an RBI single to left that plated Morreale. 

The Panthers sealed their 10th win of the season as Grau completed the game with a dominant seventh inning, securing the 6-0 victory and improving her record to 4-4. 

Game 2 (L, 10-5) 

In the second game of the day, junior Marlee Jacobs took the mound for Ohio Dominican. She pitched two innings, giving up seven hits, six runs, and three walks. Amelia Spidell relieved Jacobs to start the third inning and pitched four innings, allowing six hits, four runs, and two walks. Emma Grau finished the game with a scoreless top of the seventh, allowing no hits, runs, or walks. 

Charleston got on the board early, with Bianca Polistina hitting a single to left field, bringing Ella Zucchero home for an RBI. The Eagles added another run in the inning when Kaleigh Serra singled to right field, driving in Polistina for a 2-0 lead. In the second inning, the Eagles extended their advantage when Kayla Moran hit a two-RBI single to right field, scoring both Polistina and Zucchero. To cap off the inning, Hannah Meyer doubled to left field, driving in two more runs and pushing the score to 6-0. 

Ohio Dominican answered in the bottom of the third. Saadie Maysonet scored on an unearned run due to a throwing error by the catcher. Another run came across when leadoff hitter Liana Morreale singled to center field for an RBI, scoring Leea Ibarra. Morreale later crossed the plate when Olivia Congleton executed a sacrifice bunt for an RBI, narrowing the score to 6-3. 

The Eagles continued to extend their lead in the fifth and sixth innings. In the fifth, Allison Rubal hit an RBI double to score Serra. In the sixth, Kayla Moran tripled to right field for two RBIs, and later in the inning, a sacrifice fly scored Moran, bringing the score to 10-3. 

Ohio Dominican closed out the scoring in the bottom of the sixth when freshman Avery Mueller hit a two-run homer, bringing in herself and Spidell. Despite the late rally, the Panthers couldn't muster a comeback, and the game ended with a 10-5 loss, marking Ohio Dominican's 14th defeat of the season. 

The Panthers finished with five hits and five runs, including four RBIs. Kendrick Sterling, Olivia Congleton, and Avery Mueller (who hit a home run) each had a hit, while Liana Morreale contributed two hits.

Coming Up
Looking ahead, Ohio Dominican has a busy weekend of doubleheaders. On Friday, the Panthers will host the Malone Pioneers for their conference opener at 2 PM and 4 PM. On Sunday, they will face Findlay at 12 PM and 2 PM at Panther Field.