CEDARVILLE, OH - The Ohio Dominican softball team (9-5 GMAC) began their five-game away stretch with a doubleheader at Cedarville, taking on the Yellow Jackets at Lady Jacket Field. The Panthers came away with a sweep, winning the first game 6-2 in nine innings and the second 4-1 against the 8-3 GMAC Yellow Jackets.

Game One - 9 innings (W, 6-2)
Marlee Jacobs started in game one, pitching seven strong innings. She allowed just four hits and two runs while striking out eight. Freshman Emma Grau came on in relief, closing out the final two innings and allowing only one hit while striking out five.

Offensively, the Panthers were dominant at the plate, tallying 17 hits and six runs on 40 at-bats. Erica Massey and Kaleigh Golden each recorded three hits, while Emily Holland, Kendrick Sterling, and Addie Triplett contributed two apiece.

How It Happened
The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, when Cedarville scored on a single down the right field line. ODU quickly responded in the top of the fifth, capitalizing on a dropped fly ball that allowed Marlee Jacobs and Erica Massey to score unearned runs, giving the Panthers a 2-1 lead. Cedarville tied it up in the bottom half of the inning with a bases-loaded walk.

The game remained locked until the top of the ninth, when Ohio Dominican broke it open. A double by Kaleigh Golden drove in Massey and Leea Ibarra, followed by a sacrifice bunt from Emily Holland that scored Golden to make it 5-2. Addie Triplett capped off the inning with a double to left field, bringing in Kendrick Sterling to seal the 6-2 win.

Game Two (W, 4-1)
In the second game of the day, freshman Emma Grau got the start in the circle, pitching six scoreless innings. She allowed five hits and struck out three. Senior Liana Morreale entered in relief for the final inning, giving up one run on two hits while recording one strikeout.

At the plate, Ohio Dominican tallied eight hits and four runs from 27 at-bats. Kaleigh Golden led the offense once again with two hits and two RBIs, followed by Addie Triplett, who added two hits and one RBI.

How It Happened
The Panthers struck early, with Golden driving in Erica Massey on a single up the middle in the first inning. In the fifth, Golden delivered again, this time with a single to shortstop that brought home Grau to extend the lead to 2-0.

ODU added two more insurance runs in the sixth. Lilah Flores scored on a Triplett RBI single, and Avery Mueller crossed the plate on a Lilly Irvine RBI to make it 4-0.

Cedarville attempted a late rally in the seventh with an RBI single to right field, but it wasn't enough as the Panthers secured the 4-1 win and completed the doubleheader sweep. Ohio Dominican improved to 19-21 overall and 9-5 in GMAC play.

Looking Ahead
Next up, the Panthers face a tough road test today as they travel to Tiffin to take on the top team in the GMAC. First pitches are set for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at the Paradiso Athletic Complex.