By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Alliance, Ohio---The Owens Community College softball team pounded out 28 hits in a doubleheader sweep of University of Mount Union on the road today.
Game 1: Owens 12 Mount Union 2 (5 Innings)
Five players tallied multiple hits to lead Owens to a 12-2 win in today's first game.
The offense got going early as Paige Younker (Wilmington/Port William, Ohio) had an RBI single, while Lesley Ducat (Evergreen/Lyons, Ohio) had an RBI double in a three-run first inning.
In the third, Jacey Gray (Springfield/Holland, Ohio) singled and stole second and third before scoring on a throwing error to give Owens a 4-0 lead.
Ducat, who went the distance in the circle for Owens, gave up her first runs in the third when Mount Union plated two and cut its deficit in half.
In the fourth, though, the Owens offense broke the game open with six runs. Gray had an RBI single, followed by a three-run home run from Tori Weidinger (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio) to put Owens up 8-2. Later in the inning, Ducat had an RBI single and pinch runner Haley Kreger (Bedford/Bedford Township, Mich.) scored on a wild pitch to make it 10-2.
Owens closed the game's scoring in the fifth when pinch hitter Christina Huffman (Monroe/Monroe, Mich.) and Weidinger each produced RBI doubles.
Gray (3-for-3, 3 R, RBI, 2 SB) and Ducat (3-for-3, 2 RBI) led the Owens offense in hitting, while Weidinger finished 2-for-4 with a run and four RBI. Makayla Burtscher (Bedford/Temperance, Mich.) and Paige Younker (Wilmington/Port William, Ohio) each added two hits.
Gray and Younker each added two stolen bases, while Burtscher, Emily Young (Maumee/Maumee, Ohio) and Lyndi Winzeler (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio) each added one apiece.
Ducat improved to 8-5 this year with her five inning complete game. The sophomore allowed five hits, two runs and three walks while striking out five.
Amanda Floyd took the loss for Mount Union. Her final line included 3.2 innings, 14 hits, 10 runs, zero walks and one strikeout.
The Owens offense finished 18-for-32 at the plate with three doubles, a triple from Cassidy Rolf (Eastwood/Pemberville, Ohio) and a home run.
Game 2: Owens 9 Mount Union 3
Huffman went 3-for-3 with five RBI to lead Owens to a 9-3 win in the second game. Younker also finished 3-for-3 with three runs and an RBI, while Weidinger finished 2-for-2.
Mount Union took an early 2-0 lead with two first inning runs off Owens starter Lexi Williams (Home School/Swanton, Ohio).
Huffman then produced her first of three run scoring base hits in the game with a two-run single in the top of the second to tie the game.
In the fourth, Owens took a 5-2 lead via RBI doubles from Younker and Huffman and an RBI groundout from Rolf that scored pinch runner Breanna Buck (Springfield/Holland, Ohio).
Mount Union got a two-out RBI single in the fifth to pull within two, but Owens plated four runs in the sixth to put the game away.
Huffman had a two-run single through the right side, Katie Jensen (Genoa/Genoa, Ohio) had an RBI single to center and Winzeler had an RBI single to left in the inning.
Ducat then entered in relief for Williams and struck out four while allowing three hits in two scoreless innings.
Williams improved to 6-3 with the win. Her final line included five innings, 11 hits, three runs (two earned), two walks and one strikeout.
The Owens offense finished 10-for-30 in the second game with four doubles. The middle of the lineup (4-5-6) finished 9-for-11 with seven runs and seven RBI in game two. The rest of the lineup was 1-for-19.
Sadie Janus took the loss for Mount Union. She allowed six hits and five runs over three innings. Jessica Kennedy (3-for-5, R, RBI) and Jessica Calhoun (3-for-3, R, RBI, BB) led the Mount Union offense.
Notes
Owens is now 16-12 overall and have won five of its past six games. They are scheduled to travel to Lakeland Community College for a 3:30 p.m. conference doubleheader tomorrow.
Huffman, who went 4-for-4 with a run, two doubles and six RBI today, is now hitting .714 (5-for-7) this year.
With her two stolen bases in the first game, Gray took over the team lead with 31. Burtscher added one and is second on the team with 30. As a team, Owens eclipsed 100 steals on the season with today's performance. They are now 105-for-120 in steals this year.
Ducat, who is approaching 100 innings pitched this year, lowered her season ERA to 3.62. She is one win short of 30 for her career, as well, as she sits at 29-9 in her career. Williams leads the team with a team-low 3.34 ERA over 58.2 innings. With today's win, she matches her win total from all of last year.
Kreger appeared once in each game as a pinch runner today and scored twice.