Softball splits OAC double header with Muskingum on Senior Day

Softball splits OAC double header with Muskingum on Senior Day
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April 27, 2013

By Tim Glon

ADA — Senior Abbey Bensing threw a 3-hitter to highlight an Ohio Northern softball Senior Day double header split with Muskingum on Saturday at the ONU Softball Field.

The Polar Bears (12-14 overall, 9-9 Ohio Athletic Conference) won the opener 10-1, while the visiting Muskies (26-12, 9-9) won the nightcap 6-3.

The two teams finish tied for fifth place in the 10-team OAC.

In the opener, Bensing (7-6) allowed just a harmless fifth-inning run as ONU won the game by the NCAA's 8-run rule.

Northern scored four times in the bottom of the first inning to set the tone quickly.

Junior Christin Miller and senior Ashley Sujkowski led off the inning with back-to-back doubles to make it a 1-0 game.

Freshman Amanda Lahti scored Sujkowski with an RBI ground out and freshman Anne Dreher followed with a 2-run home run, her fifth long ball of the season, to cap the rally.

The Polar Bears then sent 11 batters to the plate in a 6-run fourth frame to blow the game wide open.

Junior Colleen Baliga led off with a solo home run and sophomore Kelly Sheridan later hit a 2-run home run to make it a 10-0 game.

In Game 2, Dreher had an RBI double and sophomore Jamie Westenkirchner had an RBI single as ONU took a 2-1 second inning lead.

Miller scored on a wild pitch in the third to give ONU a 3-1 lead, but the Muskies answered with runs in the fourth and sixth innings to tie the game at 3-3.

Courtney Moyer hit a 3-run home run with one out in the top of the seventh to give MU their margin of victory.

The Polar Bears will warp up their 2013 season on Monday with a non-conference twin-bill against Denison at 3:30 pm at the ONU Softball Field.