CANTON, OH - Opening conference play last weekend in Pepper Pike against the Arrows, sweeping them in both games, the Ohio Dominican softball team traveled to Canton for another G-MAC doubleheader and swept again, this time against the Walsh Cavaliers on their field.
Game One (W, 3-2)
In game one, the Panthers came out on top in a low-scoring battle, 3-2, to set the tone for the day. Freshman Alyvia Lawrentz earned her fifth win in the circle and her second conference win of the season. Across seven full innings, Lawrentz only gave up four hits, allowing two runs while recording four strikeouts on 101 pitches.
At the plate, Addie Triplett went 2-for-3 with two hits and one run. Evan Platfoot went 1-for-3 with one hit, one run, and an RBI. Halina Schulte went 1-for-3 with a hit and an RBI.
In scoring, Walsh struck first with an unearned run as ODU worked to settle in defensively. In quick response, the Panthers put up three runs of their own. Addie Triplett started the rally with a single to left-center. On the next play, Avery Mueller was hit by a pitch, putting two runners on base. With one out, Evan Platfoot singled through the right side to score Triplett and tie the game. Next, Halina Schulte followed with a similar single to left field, scoring Mueller. During a double steal by Schulte and Platfoot, Platfoot crossed the plate to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead.
For the final run of the game, Walsh attempted a comeback with a run on a sacrifice fly, but Lawrentz locked in and recorded the final outs to escape the jam and secure the 3-2 win in the seventh.
Game Two (W, 7-0)
In the second game, ODU appeared to be in rhythm from the start. Sophomore Emma Grau took the circle and delivered a dominant one-hitter over seven innings, striking out five on 95 pitches. Offensively, Avery Mueller had a standout performance, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, and three RBIs. Kendrick Sterling continued her momentum, going 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. Freshman Reese Loveday added two hits as well.
ODU broke things open in the fourth when Avery Mueller hit a first-pitch home run for the game's first run. The following inning brought another run in ODU's favor when Emma Grau crossed the plate on a throwing error by the Cavaliers, making it 2-0.
The Panthers added insurance runs in the top of the sixth, scoring three runs on two hits. Mueller opened the inning with a single, Olivia Congleton drew a walk, and Kendrick Sterling delivered a two-out, three-run home run to extend the lead to 5-0.
To finish things off in Canton, the Panthers added two more runs in the top of the seventh when Mueller hit an RBI double to left-center, scoring Lilly Irvine, who reached on a single, and Addie Triplett, who reached on a walk, making it 7-0 and securing the sweep.
Next
The road stretch continues for ODU as they head to Painesville, Ohio, on Saturday for a conference doubleheader against the Lake Erie Storm, with games scheduled for 1 and 3 p.m.
