Softball falls to Heidelberg 9-3 in title game of OAC Tournament; Three Polar Bears named to the All-Tournament Team

By: Ashley Birchmeier

TIFFIN — The Ohio Northern softball team fell in the championship game of the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament 9-2 Sunday afternoon at Frann's Field located on the campus of Heidelberg University.

The Polar Bears conclud their season 24-14 overall as Heidelberg moved to 30-8 overall.

Heidelberg, with the win, received an automatic bid into the NCAA Softball Tournament.

Three Polar Bears received All-Tournament Team honors for their efforts throughout the tournament, freshman Kirsten Lightel, freshman Jenna Hollar, and senior Jamie Westenkirchner.

Lightel led ONU in the tournament pitching an impressive 30 innings, recording 11 strikeouts, and posting a tournament leading 1.40 ERA.

Hollar led the ONU offense recording 6 hits and 4 stolen bases in the tournament.

The senior Westenkirchner connected for four hits, two RBI's and posted a .385 slugging percentage.

Heidelberg threatened early in the contest as the Student Princes were able to score the games first run in the bottom of the first following a Polar Bear error taking a 1-0 lead.

The Student Princes added two more runs in the second to push its lead to 3-0 before Lightel retired the side.

The Polar Bears first run of the contest came in the top of the fourth as the lead off batter Hollar was able to reach home and put ONU on the board 3-1.

In the top of the fifth, the Polar Bears added another run as junior Tessa Topp provided another clutch hit for ONU hitting an RBI double scoring freshman Abbey Oswald.

Heidelberg in the bottom half of the inning plated six more runs in route to its 9-3 victory.

"The team battled hard the whole tournament, some people showed up big at a lot of different moments for us," said head coach Ali Hess. "We made the weekend exciting, this year's team has been exciting to be a part of."

ONU concluded its season 24-14 overall, 12-6 OAC and OAC Tournament Runner-Up.