Softball uses big innings to sweep Baldwin Wallace 8-6 and 11-3 in OAC double header

By Tim Glon

BEREA -- The Ohio Northern softball team used three big innings to record an 8-6, 11-3 sweep of Baldwin Wallace on Thursday afternoon at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds.

The Polar Bears improve to 16-15 overall and are 9-5 in Ohio Athletic Conference play, while the Yellow Jackets fall to 14-15, 8-6.

In Game 1, ONU scored four runs in the top of the second, then iced the game with a 3-run fifth frame.

Senior Carly McKenzie went 1-for-4 with a triple and 3 RBI and senior Christin Miller and Colleen Baliga each had a pair of hits to lead Ohio Northern.

In the top of the second, Miller scored on a BW error, junior Adriana Sikora and McKenzie drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks and sophomore Anne Dreher had a sac fly to stake the Polar Bears to a quick 4-0 lead.

Baliga made it a 5-0 game with an RBI single in the top of the fourth, but the Yellow Jackets responded with a 4-run home half of the inning to pull within 5-4.

Northern regained a 4-run cushion in the top of the fifth on a 2-run triple by McKenzie and another sac fly from Dreher.

BW got two runs in the sixth to make it an 8-6 game, but freshman Paige Ordean retired the final four batters to record the complete-game victory and improve to 11-8 on the season.

In Game 2, Sikora was 4-for-4 with three doubles and sophomore Amanda Lahti was 3-for-4 with 3 RBI's and a 2-run home run to lead the ONU offense.

Her 2-run shot in the top of the first gave ONU a quick 2-0 lead.

Baldwin Wallace rallied with two runs in the first and another in the second to take a 3-2 lead.

Northern quickly responded with a 6-run third frame, sending 11 batters to the plate, to take an 8-3 lead.

Lahti, Miller and Baliga had back-to-back-to-back RBI singles and senior Bree Hiteshew followed with an RBI double to make it a 6-3 game.

Baliga and Hiteshew both scored on a Yellow Jacket error to cap the rally.

A run-scoring double by Sikora keyed a 2-run fifth and Miller scored on a wild pitch in the sixth to complete the scoring,

The game was called after six innings due to the NCAA's 8-run rule.

Freshman Kirsten Burden scattered seven hits in the complete game win and is now 5-7 on the year.

The Polar Bears will get right back to work with a double header at league-leading Marietta on Friday.