Strong Pitching, Rolf's Six RBI Lead Owens Softball To Sweep Over Heidelberg JV

Benschoter, Rolf, Minarchick (L to R) performed well for Owens today in a sweep of Heidelberg. Photos by Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Benschoter, Rolf, Minarchick (L to R) performed well for Owens today in a sweep of Heidelberg. Photos by Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information

By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information

Tiffin, Ohio---The Owens Community College softball team combined solid pitching with solid hitting to pick up a doubleheader sweep of Heidelberg University's JV team this evening.

With the wins, Owens improves to 11-9 overall. They will be back in action this Wednesday with a doubleheader at Siena Heights University beginning at 4 p.m.

Game 1: Owens 10 Heidelberg JV 2 (7 Innings)

Miranda Benschoter (Elmwood/Bloomdale, Ohio) tossed a complete game in the circle, while Cassidy Rolf (Eastwood/Pemberville, Ohio) finished just a home run short of the cycle in today's first game.

Owens scored in six of the seven innings to pick up the easy win.

Offensively, Rolf finished 3-for-5 with a run and four RBI. She had an RBI triple to right field in the first inning. In the second, she produced a two-run double to right center. Then, in the fourth, she had an RBI single through the left side.

In addition to Rolf, Jacey Gray (Springfield/Holland, Ohio) went 2-for-3 with four runs, one RBI and two walks. She scored in her first four plate appearances before being stranded at second after her fifth at bat. The sophomore outfielder added three stolen bases, as well.

Jordan Hanf (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio) picked up three RBI while finishing 1-for-3. In the third inning, she hit a sacrifice fly to right before picking up a two run single in the fourth inning.

Angelique Prunty (Elyria/Elyria, Ohio) and Ericca Herzog (Southview/Sylvania, Ohio) also added two hits and two runs apiece. Prunty's hits, which were a single and a double, came in her first and final at bats, and she also stole a base. Herzog singled in the first and sixth innings.

Lindsey Wiggins (Bradford/Brooker, Fla.) singled and picked up a stolen base, whileOlivia Myers (Elmwood/Bloomdale, Ohio) had a single in her final at bat. 

Haley Kreger (Bedford/Temperance, Mich.) scored a run in a pinch running appearance.

As a team, Owens went 12-for-32 from the plate with eight RBI and four walks.

Benschoter picked up the win after allowing just six hits and four walks over seven innings. Both of the runs she allowed were earned, and she picked up five strikeouts.

Game 2: Owens 11 Heidelberg JV 1 (6 Innings)

The second game was similar to the first in that Owens got a solid pitching performance from Kailey Minarchick (Columbia Station/Columbia Station, Ohio) and plenty of runs, but most of the offense came late in the game as Owens racked up 10 combined in the final two innings.

Minarchick went the distance and allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out six and allowing one earned run. She stranded six runners, including a two-out double in the final inning.

Offensively, Owens got off to a slow start with only one run and five hits through the first four innings. That run came in the second via an RBI single from Wiggins to score Emily Young (Maumee/Maumee, Ohio), who singled with one out and stole second base.

Then, in the fifth, Owens exploded with four runs. Burtscher walked to lead off the inning and advanced to third on back-to-back wild pitches. She then scored when Sabina Watson (Bradford/Starke, Fla.) reached via a throwing error from the shortstop. 

After Watson advanced on a sacrifice bunt from Gray, Rolf knocked her home with one of her two RBI singles in the game. Another wild pitch moved Rolf to second, and Herzog knocked her home with an RBI single to left. Herzog later scored on a passed ball to put Owens up 5-1.

In the sixth, Owens batted around to break the game wide open. Three straight singles loaded the bases with one out to set up an RBI single from Rolf and a bases clearing double to left center from Herzog, who was thrown out at third after seeing an opening on the throw to home.

Following that, Ashley Guthrie (Milan/Versailles, Ind.) reached on an error before Kreger replaced her as a pinch runner. Young doubled Kreger home and then scored on a passed ball for the game's final run.

Young finished 4-for-4 with two runs, a double, an RBI and a stolen base, while Wiggins (2-for-3, R, RBI), Herzog (2-for-4, R, 2B, 4 RBI), Rolf (2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI) and Gray (2-for-2, R, BB) each added two hits. Burtscher and Watson had the other two hits as Owens finished 14-for-30 as a team with eight RBI and two walks.

Minarchick, meanwhile, settled in after allowing the very first batter to double and score on a two-out single. She retired 11 of the final 13 batters she faced.