Lightel, Surdej toss shutouts as Softball sweeps Muskingum 6-0, 3-0

By Tim Glon

NEW CONCORD -- Junior Kirsten Lightel (Tallmadge) and sophomore Kaitlin Surdej (Lancaster/Central) each threw shutouts to lead the Ohio Northern softball team to a 6-0, 3-0 sweep at Muskingum on Friday afternoon at Newberry Stadium.

The Polar Bears improve to 22-8 overall and are 8-4 in Ohio Athletic Conference play, while the Muskies fall to 12-20, 4-8.

ONU also clinched its fourth consecutive winning season with the victories.

In Game 1, Lightel threw a 1-hit shutout, striking out six, to improve to 13-3 on the season.

She allowed only a second inning single and retired the final 13 batters she faced.

Offensively, Ohio Northern scored single runs in the second and third innings, then broke the game open with a 4-run fourth inning.

Freshman Athena Triglia (Winchester, Calif./Chaparral) had the big blow with a 2-run, bases loaded single in the fourth.

In the nightcap, Surdej threw a 4-hit shutout with seven strikeouts and is now 9-5 on the year.

ONU scored in the top of the first on a single by freshman Hailee Loughman (Brookville) and got two more runs in the fourth keyed by an RBI double from freshman Brady Guest (Convoy/Crestview).

The Polar Bears will return home on Wednesday when they host Baldwin Wallace in a double header at the ONU Softball Field.