John Carroll tops No. 24-ranked Softball in 10-6 slugfest in OAC Tournament finals
By Tim Glon
ADA -- John Carroll scored five runs in the top of the sixth inning and held on to defeat No. 24-ranked Ohio Northern 10-6 in the championship game of the 2012 Ohio Athletic Conference Softball Tournament Saturday afternoon at the ONU Softball Field.
The top-seeded Polar Bears are eliminated with a 26-11 record, while the second-seeded Blue Streaks improve to 30-13.
The OAC Tournament champion Blue Streaks receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
The Polar Bears must wait until the NCAA Tournament field is announced on Monday morning to see if they will qualify for their fourth straight tournament.
Senior Cassie Gaye's 3-run home run capped a 4-run fourth inning that brought ONU back from an early 5-0 deficit to take a 6-5 lead.
But the Blue Streaks sent 11 batters to the plate in the top of the sixth, scoring five times, to regain the lead and win the OAC Tournament crown for the second time in the last three seasons.
John Carroll jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead, scoring twice in the top of the first and three more in the top of the second.
Senior All-American Kimi Blewett drilled a 2-run home run, her OAC-leading 11th of the season, to dead center field to pull Northern within 5-2 in the bottom of the third.
Gaye, senior Katie Cretin and freshman Kelly Sheridan were named to the All-Tournament Team for Ohio Northern.
