By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, Ohio---The No. 17 Owens Community College softball team swept a pair of five inning games against Grand Rapids Community College today.
Game 1: Owens 10 Grand Rapids 0 (Five Innings)
Josie Hall's (New London/New London, Ohio) three-run double highlighted a first game shutout for the Express, who scored twice in the first, second and third innings before plating four in the fourth.
In the first, Brittany George's (Elmwood/Wayne, Ohio) RBI single plated Emily Morrow (Monroe Jefferson/Newport, Mich.) for the game's first run. George later scored on a wild pitch in the inning.
Taylor Miller (Erie Mason/Toledo, Ohio) and Morrow each had hits to lead off the second before they both scored on a fielding error from GRCC's second baseman during George's second at bat of the game.
A sacrifice fly by Miller and an RBI single by Morrow plated two more in the third to make it 6-0.
Then, in the fourth, Hall's three-run double and Miller's RBI single made it 10-0, which was more than enough runs for Express starter Lesley Ducat (Evergreen/Lyons, Ohio).
Ducat, who struck out the side in the fifth to end the game, improved to 18-3 with her complete game win. She allowed only two hits and one walk while striking out eight.
Meanwhile, Billie Jo DeLisle (1-11) struggled for GRCC in the circle, although she didn't receive help from her defense, which committed five errors. She allowed 11 hits, 10 runs (three earned) and one walk.
Hall finished 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs, while Miller was 2-for-2 with a run and two RBIs. Other players with multiple hits included Morrow (2-for-4, two runs, RBI) and George (2-for-3, two runs, RBI).
Game 2: Owens 10 Grand Rapids 1 (Five Innings)
Tori Weidinger (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio) and Molly Gast (Sylvania Southview/Toledo, Ohio) each homered in a game two rout for the Express.
Weidinger's two-run homer in the first plated George, and Morrow scored on a wild pitch as the Express took a 3-0 lead.
In the second, Weidinger drew a bases loaded walk, Emily Rockman (Springfield/Holland, Ohio) had a two-run single up the middle and Hall hit a sacrifice fly to give the Express a 7-0 lead.
The final runs of the game came on a two-run homer from Gast and an RBI single up the middle from Weidinger in the third.
GRCC's Katie Klompstra hit a solo homer to center in the fourth to give her team their only run of the day.
Express starter Lexi Williams (4-4) picked up the win. In four innings, she allowed four hits, one run and zero walks while striking out two. Ducat pitched the final inning and allowed a walk before striking out the final batter to end the game.
Mackenzie Allan (0-2) took the loss for GRCC. She allowed five hits, six runs (five earned) and two walks while striking out one over one plus innings. Ingrid Kukla pitched the final three plus innings and allowed five hits, four runs (three earned) and two walks while striking out three.
Weidinger (2-for-2, two runs, BB, four RBIs), Rockman (3-for-3, two RBIs), George (2-for-2, three runs) and Gast (2-for-3, two runs, two RBIs) led the Express offense.
Notes
Today's games marked the second to last home action of the season for the Express, who are scheduled to travel to Kellogg Community College on Monday before hosting Macomb Community College on Tuesday. They will begin postseason play on Wednesday.
The Express are now 23-7 overall. They have won four in a row and seven of their past eight.
George is now hitting a team-high .524 this year with 30 RBIs, while Weidinger's homer was her team-high 10th of the season. Both of them could break the program's single season slugging percentage record.