Softball sweeps Otterbein 6-1 and 1-0 to clinch spot in OAC Tournament

By Tim Glon

ADA — Sophomore Sydney Motylinski (Ida, Mich.) hit a 3-run home run in the opener and sophomore Allie Bican (Solon) threw a 6-hit shutout in the nightcap as the Ohio Northern softball team swept Otterbein in a double header on Thursday afternoon at the ONU Softball Field.

The Polar Bears (18-17-1 overall, 16-15 OAC) won 6-4 and 1-0 to clinch a spot in next week's 6-team OAC Tournament.

The Cardinals fall to 14-23, 11-22.

Motylinski blasted her team-leading eighth home run in the bottom of the first inning to give ONU a quick 3-0 lead in Game 1.

Senior Alicia Swierz (Deerfield/Southeast) had a 2-run single in the fourth frame to extend the lead to 5-0.

OU got back into the game with a pair of 2-run home runs in the top of the fifth to make it 5-4.

Freshman Alex Daum (Wapakoneta) came on in relief and retired all eight batters she faced to pick up her first career save.

Junior Abby Elliott (Loveland/Ursuline) doubled home junior pinch-runner Amanda Hish (Gainesville, Va./Patriot) with an insurance run in the fifth to make it 6-4.

Junior Stacey Walters (Sunbury/Big Walnut) threw 4.1 innings to pick up the win and improve to a team-best 11-5.

In Game 2, Bican threw a 6-hit shutout as ONU won the pitcher's dual.

Elliott drove in the game-winner with a two-out single to score junior Rachel Hish (Gainesville, Va./Patriot) in the bottom of the eighth.

Bican improves to 3-7 on the season.

The Polar Bears and Cardinals will wrap up their regular seasons on Saturday with two games at Otterbein.

With a victory in either game on Saturday or a loss by Heidelberg in any of its four games with Marietta this weekend, ONU would be either the No. 3 or No. 4 seed and would host a quarterfinal game next Tuesday at 4 pm at the ONU Softball Field.

Two ONU losses and four HU wins would put ONU as the No. 5 or No. 6 seed and would mean a road game in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.