By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, Ohio---Four players tallied at least four hits for the Owens Community College softball team in today's doubleheader sweep of Cuyahoga Community College.
Game 1: Owens 11 Cuyahoga 4
Katelyn Jensen (Genoa/Genoa, Ohio) exploded for three hits and five RBI as the freshman third baseman finished just a triple shy of a cycle in today's first game.
After Cuyahoga scored four runs (two earned) off Owens starter Lesley Ducat (Evergreen/Lyons, Ohio) in the top of the first, Jensen's two-run double highlighted a four run second inning for Owens. Emily Young (Maumee/Maumee, Ohio) produced an RBI triple and Makayla Burtscher (Bedford/Temperance, Mich.) had an RBI single in the inning, as well.
In the fourth, Josie Hall (New London/New London, Ohio) walked, Jensen singled and Burtscher drove both of them home three batters later to put Owens up 6-4.
Then, in the fifth, Owens broke the game open with a two-out, four-run rally. Paige Younker (Wilmington/Port William, Ohio) doubled, Hall walked and Jensen blasted a three-run home run to deep center to start the rally. Following that, Young and Breanna Buck (Springfield/Holland, Ohio) had back-to-back triples to put Owens up 10-2.
In the sixth, Owens added an insurance run via an RBI double from Younker.
Following her rough first inning, Ducat settled down and allowed only three hits the rest of the game after allowing three in the first inning. Her final line included seven innings, six hits, four runs (two earned) and seven strikeouts. She improved to 11-5 with the victory.
Offensively, Jensen finished 3-for-3 with three runs, five RBI, a double, a triple and a stolen base. Younker (2-for-3, 2 R, RBI, 2B, BB), Burtscher (2-for-4, 3 RBI, 2 SB) and Young (2-for-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 3B) also picked up multi-hit games.
Game 2: Owens 15 Cuyahoga 8
Owens poured it on Cuyahoga with 11 runs in the first inning before Cuyahoga rallied to force a full game despite the threat of darkness in today's second game.
In the first, Owens got two-run singles from Jacey Gray (Springfield/Holland, Ohio) and Jensen, two-run doubles from Buck and Brittany George (Elmwood/Wayne, Ohio) and RBI singles from Tori Weidinger (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio) and Gray, who had two RBI hits in the inning.
After the dust settled, Owens sent 16 batters to the plate in the first inning while producing 10 hits and 13 base runners.
Cuyahoga, which initially led 1-0 after the first half inning, saw Owens tack on two more runs in the second via RBI doubles from Burtscher and Gray. Down 13-1, the visitors responded with two runs in the top of the third to pull within 10.
Cassidy Rolf's (Eastwood/Pemberville, Ohio) RBI single through the left side in the home half of the third extended the Owens lead to 14-3.
Following that, Ducat saw herself back in the circle after Sam Fowls (Maumee/Maumee, Ohio) had started and Lexi Williams (Home School/Swanton, Ohio) made a relief appearance. She allowed a run in the fourth and three more in the fifth as Cuyahoga trimmed its deficit to seven and prevented a run rule game.
In the bottom of the fifth, Owens had a chance to end the game, but stranded the bases loaded. In the sixth, after Cuyahoga scored another run, Weidinger hit a solo home run to centerfield to make it 15-8.
After allowing a leadoff double in the top of the seventh, Ducat retired the next three hitters to improve to 12-5 this year. Her final line included four innings, nine hits, five runs, five earned, two walks adn three strikeouts.
Fowls and Williams each picked up no decisions. Williams allowed one hit over one inning, while Fowls allowed three hits, three runs (two earned) and three walks over two innings. She struck out two.
Offensively, Owens had five players pick up at least two hits. The attack was led by Gray, who finished 4-for-5 with two runs, four RBI, a double and a stolen base. Just behind her was George (3-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 2B, SB) and Burtscher (3-for-5, 3 R, RBI, 2B, 2 SB).
Weidinger (2-for-5, R, 2 RBI, HR) and Young (2-for-4, R, SB) also picked up multi-hit games.
Notes
With the victories, Owens improves to 23-13 overall and 7-1 in Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) play, while Cuyahoga falls to 17-14 overall and 7-5 in OCCAC play.
Owens can clinch a share of the OCCAC championship by splitting tomorrow's 3:30 p.m. home doubleheader vs Lakeland Community College. They can clinch the title outright with a sweep tomorrow.
Gray and Burtscher each combined for five hits apiece in the doubleheader, while Jensen and Young had four apiece. Younker, Weidinger and George each had three. Jensen had seven RBI, while Gray and Burtscher each had four.
Jensen improved her batting average to .394 with her big day today.
Weidinger now has nine homers this year. She is one away from back-to-back double digit home run seasons after 10 last year.
Gray (39) and Burtscher (37) are still battling it out in a close race for the team's stolen base crown. The team now has 133 steals in 150 attempts this year.