Softball 5/9: Tigers fall 5-3 to No. 1 seed Ohio Northern
DePauw to play later today in double elimination tournament
By: Leslie Gaber
Issue date: 5/5/09 Section: Sports
A first inning grand slam by Ohio Northern Univesity's Kim Blewett was the difference in the Bears' 5-3 win over host DePauw (30-8) Saturday in regional play of the NCAA Div. III Championship.
No. 4 Ohio Northern (38-3), which is seeded first in the regional bracket, loaded the bases in the top of the first on a walk and two singles. Blewett, a freshman catcher from Carmel, Ind., launched a Megan Soultz pitch over the fence in left centerfield to put the Polar Bears up 4-0.
DePauw answered with one run in the bottom of the second to pull within three. Sophomore first baseman Ashlee Anton led off with a single up the middle, and freshman Cymone Allen pinch ran for Anton. Allen advanced to second on a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt by junior third baseman Kelly Schwerzler. Senior outfielder Carolyn Bartlett reached base on an Ohio Northern error, moving Schwerzler to second and Allen to third. Senior outfielder Chelsy Patterson's sacrifice fly scored Allen to put the Tigers on the board.
The Tigers scored two unearned runs in their half of the third on two errors by the Polar Bears to make the score 4-3.
That score held until the seventh, when Ohio Northern manufactured another run following a walk, a stolen base and two singles, to lead 5-3.
DePauw got two people on base in the bottom of the seventh, but was unable to move either across home plate.
The Polar Bears totaled eight hits in the win, led by junior outfielder Tina Mangola, who had three.
Patterson led the Tiger offense with two hits and one RBI.
Courtney Cash, Ohio Northern's junior pitcher, improved to 27-1 with the win. Cash allowed six hits and two walks, while striking out four. DePauw's Soultz allowed eight hits, walked four and struck out four in the loss.
Saturday's win puts the Polar Bears in Sunday's Championship game, slated to begin at noon.
The Tigers will play the winner of the Defiance-Thomas More game later Saturday afternoon. If the team wins, it will advance to the championship game where it will meet Ohio Northern again.
No. 4 Ohio Northern (38-3), which is seeded first in the regional bracket, loaded the bases in the top of the first on a walk and two singles. Blewett, a freshman catcher from Carmel, Ind., launched a Megan Soultz pitch over the fence in left centerfield to put the Polar Bears up 4-0.
DePauw answered with one run in the bottom of the second to pull within three. Sophomore first baseman Ashlee Anton led off with a single up the middle, and freshman Cymone Allen pinch ran for Anton. Allen advanced to second on a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt by junior third baseman Kelly Schwerzler. Senior outfielder Carolyn Bartlett reached base on an Ohio Northern error, moving Schwerzler to second and Allen to third. Senior outfielder Chelsy Patterson's sacrifice fly scored Allen to put the Tigers on the board.
The Tigers scored two unearned runs in their half of the third on two errors by the Polar Bears to make the score 4-3.
That score held until the seventh, when Ohio Northern manufactured another run following a walk, a stolen base and two singles, to lead 5-3.
DePauw got two people on base in the bottom of the seventh, but was unable to move either across home plate.
The Polar Bears totaled eight hits in the win, led by junior outfielder Tina Mangola, who had three.
Patterson led the Tiger offense with two hits and one RBI.
Courtney Cash, Ohio Northern's junior pitcher, improved to 27-1 with the win. Cash allowed six hits and two walks, while striking out four. DePauw's Soultz allowed eight hits, walked four and struck out four in the loss.
Saturday's win puts the Polar Bears in Sunday's Championship game, slated to begin at noon.
The Tigers will play the winner of the Defiance-Thomas More game later Saturday afternoon. If the team wins, it will advance to the championship game where it will meet Ohio Northern again.
Be the first to comment on this story