By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Flint, Mich.---Several players were key contributors as the Owens Community College softball team swept a pair of road games against Mott Community College on the road today.
Game 1: Owens 12 Mott 9
Mott jumped out to a 2-0 lead through two via four Owens errors on defense, but the offense answered in come-from-behind fashion three times to pull out a win.
After its offense was retired in order the first two innings, Owens exploded for eight hits and six runs in the third. Lesley Ducat (Evergreen/Lyons, Ohio) led off with a single and advanced to second on a fielding error in left. After being sacrificed to third by Cassidy Rolf (Eastwood/Pemberville, Ohio), Ducat scored on a sacrifice fly from Emily Young (Maumee/Maumee, Ohio) to put Owens on the board.
Following that, Owens produced seven straight hits followed by a walk before Young struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning. During the run, Makayla Burtscher (Bedford/Temperance, Mich.) and Tori Weidinger (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio) each picked up RBI doubles, while all other hits came via singles.
With her team up 6-2, Ducat allowed six runs in the third, although three of them were unearned due to the fifth error of the game by the Owens defense.
In the fourth, though, Jacey Gray (Springfield/Holland, Ohio) and Paige Younker (Wilmington/Port William, Ohio) each picked up RBI singles to tie the game.
Following that, Sam Fowls (Maumee/Maumee, Ohio) took over in the circle for Ducat and dominated aside from allowing one run in the fourth. The freshman struck out nine over the final four innings to steady the ship, while the Owens offense tacked on four more runs in the fifth.
In the fifth inning rally, Weidinger plated two with a double, while Burtscher and Brittany George (Elmwood/Wayne, Ohio) each picked up RBI singles.
With her solid relief performance, Fowls improved to 2-4 this year. She allowed just two hits, one run and three walks while striking out nine over four innings. Ducat's final line included three innings, seven hits, eight runs (three earned), two walks and five strikeouts.
George (3-for-5, 3 R, 2 RBI) led a 15 hit attack for the Owens offense, while Burtscher, Gray, Weidinger, Younker and Ducat each added two hits apiece. Weidinger had a team-high three RBI, while Gray swiped five bases.
Another key contributor in the win was Katelyn Jensen (Genoa/Genoa, Ohio), who came in at third defensively and provided some nice plays in the field before adding a sacrifice bunt and a single later in the game.
Game 2: Owens 7 Mott 1
Lexi Williams (Home School/Swanton, Ohio) tossed a complete game three-hitter while the Owens offense backed her up with seven runs in the second game.
Owens got on the board first with two runs in the second, highlighted by an RBI groundout by Aubrey Geis (Toledo Christian/Wauseon, Ohio).
After Williams allowed her lone run in the home half of the second, Owens added two runs in the fifth and three in the seventh.
In the fifth, George and Gray had back-to-back RBI doubles. In the seventh, George had a two-run single, stole second and third and scored on a throwing error at third.
The final line for Williams (4-3) included seven innings, three hits, one run, one walk and a career-high six strikeouts.
George finished 2-for-4 with two runs, two stolen bases and three RBI, while Burtscher was 3-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base.
Notes
Owens is now 13-11 overall, while Mott falls to 5-18 overall.
Owens will travel to Macomb Community College for a 1 p.m. doubleheader tomorrow at 1 p.m.