No. 24 Softball eliminates Otterbein 11-1 in Game 4 of the 2012 OAC Tournament
By Tim Glon
ADA -- No. 24-ranked Ohio Northern eliminated Otterbein 11-1 in game four of the 2012 Ohio Athletic Conference Softball Tournament Friday evening and Saturday morning at the ONU Softball Field.
The game was called after six innings due to the NCAA's 8-run rule.
The top-seeded Polar Bears improve to 25-10, while the third-seeded Cardinals end their season at 26-16.
Northern will now face fourth-seeded Mount Union in another elimination game at approximately 11:30 am.
The game was delayed with Ohio Northern batting in the top of the fifth inning due to lightning Friday night and resumed with ONU up 5-0 on Saturday morning.
Northern got on the board first when sophomore Colleen Baliga drilled a 2-out, 2-roun double off the third base bag into the left field corner to score senior Katie Cretin and junior Ashley Sujkowski.
Senior All-American Kimi Blewett then scored freshman Kelly Sheridan with a sac fly in the top of the third and it was 3-0 Polar Bears.
Northern scored a pair of two-out runs in the top of the first to extend its lead to 5-0.
Senior All-American Jackie Mangola drilled a double into the left center field gap to score Sheridan, then senior Cassie Gaye singled home Mangola.
After play resumed Saturday morning, Gaye scored on a wild pitch to put ONU up 6-0 and complete the 3-run inning.
In the top of the sixth, Northern struck for five more runs.
Sheridan doubled home sophomore Christin Miller to make it 7-0, then Miller and sophomore pinch-runner Carly McKenzie executed a double-steal to put ONU up 8-0.
McKenzie later scored on a ground ball by Gaye to extend the lead to 9-0.
A two-run single by sophomore Colleen Baliga put Northern up 11-0.
Junior Katy Newman allowed just two hits in four shutout innings of work to earn the win and improve to 9-4 on the season.