Lenser’s third consecutive shutout, homer highlight Softball’s doubleheader sweep of Otterbein
By Wes Mayberry
ADA — Sophomore Ashley Lenser (Brookville) pitched a shutout, hit a home run and recorded a save to spark the Ohio Northern softball team to an 8-0, 5-4 doubleheader sweep of Otterbein on Wednesday at the ONU Softball Field.
The Polar Bears have now won seven straight games and improve to 19-11 overall and 9-3 in the Ohio Athletic Conference. The Cardinals fall to 13-12-1, 7-5.
Lenser pitched all six innings of Game 1, which ended via the eight-run mercy rule. She gave up just one hit and one walk while striking out five in recording her third straight shutout and improving to 10-5 on the season.
Wednesday marked the first time in 36 years that an ONU pitcher had thrown a third consecutive shutout, as Michelle Stillings pitched a school-record four straight shutouts in 1987.
In shutting out Wilmington, John Carroll and Otterbein, Lenser has allowed just 10 combined hits and three walks while recording 14 strikeouts.
The only hit she allowed on Wednesday was a leadoff single in the fifth inning, and she also came up big offensively, hitting a three-run homer to give ONU a 7-0 lead in the sixth.
Freshman Allie Wilson (Wapakoneta) opened the scoring with a two-run home run to center field in the bottom of the fourth.
An RBI single from sophomore Callie Rosser (Republic/Monroeville) and a sacrifice fly from fifth-year senior Abby Elliott (Loveland/Ursuline) increased the ONU lead to 4-0 in the fifth.
Lenser's homer scored Wilson and senior Sydney Motylinski (Ida, Mich.), who led off the sixth with back-to-back singles.
Three batters later, Rosser singled and then stole second base before advancing to third on a single from senior Lauren Walls (Grove City).
The game ended when Rosser scored courtesy of an OU error that allowed Elliott to reach base.
Lenser earned her first save of the season in Game 2 after pitching a scoreless final inning with one strikeout in relief of senior starter Allie Bican (Solon), who struck out five over six innings in improving to 9-6 on the season.
The Polar Bears cruised to an early lead, scoring three runs in the first inning and two in the third.
The first inning was highlighted by back-to-back RBI doubles from Elliott and junior Kaylie Griffin (Grafton/Elyria Catholic).
Motylinski led off the third with a solo homer, and Rosser made it 5-0 on an RBI single.
Motylinski now has 97 career hits and ranks ninth all-time at ONU with 15 career home runs.
Bican limited the OU batters to just two hits through five innings, but the Cardinals found some offensive success in the sixth.
With one out, Otterbein loaded the bases on a single, walk and error and scored a pair of runs on a hit-by-pitch and wild pitch.
After a walk re-loaded the bases, Bican got the next batter to strike out. But Jen Sindledecker brought OU closer with a 2-RBI single before Lexi Hart was thrown out trying to advance to third.
Northern took a 5-4 lead into the seventh inning and sent Lenser to the pitching circle to try and close out the victory. She did just that, recording a 1-2-3 frame for her third career save.
The Polar Bears return to action on Saturday to host a doubleheader with OAC foe Capital beginning at 1 p.m.
