COLUMBUS, OH - In a competitive Sunday series between the (27-11) Tiffin Dragons and the (22-20) Ohio Dominican softball team—two of the top four teams in the G-MAC—the teams split the day. The Panthers dropped a close game one, 5-3, but bounced back in dominant fashion to take game two, 6-1.
Game One (L, 5-3)
In game one, freshman Alyvia Lawrentz started in the circle, going all seven innings and allowing seven hits and five runs on 102 pitches. Two Panthers recorded RBIs: Avery Mueller went 1-for-3 with a hit and an RBI, while Halina Schulte also went 1-for-3 with a hit and an RBI. Saadie Maysonet stayed consistent, going 1-for-2 with a run scored.
ODU opened the scoring in the first two innings. Avery Mueller got things started with an RBI single to center field, scoring Reese Loveday after her opening-inning walk to take an early 1-0 lead. In the second, ODU added another run when Halina Schulte drove in Saadie Maysonet with a single.
Tiffin responded in the top of the fourth inning, scoring three runs—one on an RBI double and two on a home run over the left-field line—to take a 3-2 lead. ODU answered immediately, as Hannah Plymale led off the bottom of the inning with a single and later, came all the way around to score on a wild pitch, tying the game at 3-3.
In a tight battle throughout, Tiffin pulled away in the final inning with a two-run frame, highlighted by an RBI double followed by a sacrifice fly, securing a 5-3 win in game one.
Game Two (W, 6-1)
The Panthers responded strongly in game two, avoiding the sweep with a commanding 6-1 victory.
Sophomore Emma Grau earned the win in the circle, pitching a complete game while allowing just six hits and one run against the top G-MAC team, without issuing a walk. Offensively, the Panthers totaled eight hits and six runs. Erica Massey led the way, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Avery Mueller added two RBIs, and Grau helped her own cause with two RBIs as well.
Like game one, ODU struck first and maintained momentum throughout. In the third inning, Avery Mueller delivered an RBI fly ball to center, scoring Reese Loveday after her one-out single. Erica Massey followed with an RBI single to center, bringing home Grau for a 2-0 lead.
In the fourth, the Panthers added another run as Saadie Maysonet scored on an RBI from Emma Grau to make it 3-0. ODU broke things open in the sixth inning with a three-run surge. Addie Triplett singled to center, scoring Maysonet for a 4-0 lead after her leadoff double. Two additional unearned runs pushed the score to 6-0 heading into the final inning.
Tiffin added one run in the seventh, but it wasn't enough, as ODU secured the split and handed the Dragons just their third G-MAC loss of the season.
Coming Up
The Panthers will travel to Painesville next week on Thursday, April 23 to face the Lake Erie Storm, with games scheduled for 2 and 4 p.m. at Kiwanis Recreation Park.
