By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, Ohio---The No. 20 Owens Community College softball team split a pair of games with Cuyahoga Community College this afternoon to earn at least a share of the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) championship.
With at least a split in Friday's home doubleheader against Lakeland Community College, Owens can clinch the title outright. If they lose both, Owens and Cuyahoga will share the title.
Earlier in the week, Owens (23-12, 8-2 OCCAC) also split a pair of games on the road against Lakeland Community College.
Game 1: Owens d. Lakeland 5-3, April 20, 2016
Jordan Hanf's (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio) two-run single up the middle in the seventh inning proved to be the game-winning hit as Owens pulled out a come from behind win in Wednesday's first game against Lakeland.
Kailey Minarchick (Columbia Station/Columbia Station, Ohio) started in the circle for Owens. After retiring the first six batters she faced, Lakeland produced a run in the third to take the lead.
Hanf then produced an RBI double that landed down the right field line in the next half inning to tie the game. Angelique Prunty (Elyria/Elyria, Ohio) walked and stole second to lead off the inning before coming around on Hanf's extra base hit.
Lakeland bounced right back, though, when Shar Miller hit a two-run home run to right center off Minarchick to close the fourth with her team up 3-1.
In the fifth inning, both teams stranded runners in scoring position as Lakeland remained ahead by two. However, Owens broke through with a pair of runs in the sixth via the aid of some sloppy defense from Lakeland.
Prunty opened the inning with a walk. Hanf then grounded to third and the fielder attempted to get the out at second, but Prunty beat the throw. Also, the throw was wild, which allowed both runners to advance into scoring position with no outs.
In the next at bat, Sabina Watson (Bradford/Starke, Fla.) grounded to third. On the play, Prunty was caught in a rundown between third and home. Hanf was also caught in between second and third, and the play could have easily resulted in a double play. However, an errant throw led to Prunty scoring, which pulled Owens within one, and allowed Hanf to advance to third. Morgan Gangwer (Lakota/Risingsun, Ohio) then tied the game with an RBI groundout.
After Minarchick stranded a runner at third to end the sixth, Emily Young (Maumee/Maumee, Ohio) and Ericca Herzog (Southview/Sylvania, Ohio) picked up back-to-back singles with one out in the seventh. After a wild pitch advanced both runners and a pop out, Hanf singled up the middle with two outs to score both runs and give Owens a 5-3 lead.
Lakeland loaded the bases in the home half of the seventh on two singles and an intentional walk, but Minarchick fanned McKenzie Wilber to end the game.
Hanf finished 3-for-4 with a run and three RBI in the game to lead the Owens offense, while four others picked up one hit apiece. Gangwer had the team's other RBI.
Minarchick improved to 12-6 in the circle with the complete game win. She allowed eight hits, three runs and three walks while striking out seven.
Game 2: Lakeland d. Owens 6-4, April 20, 2016
An interesting call by the umpires changed the momentum of the second game, which helped Lakeland ultimately take a 6-4 win in Wednesday's second game.
Through three and a half innings, Owens held a 3-0 lead. In the third, Owens got its first run when Minarchick singled up the middle, stole second and later scored on a throwing error. The next two runs came in the fourth when Minarchick produced an RBI double to left center and later scored on an RBI groundout from Watson. Prunty led off the inning with a single and scored on Minarchick's single.
One of the game's crucial moments then came in the home half of the fourth. Miranda Benschoter (Elmwood/Bloomdale, Ohio), who had allowed just one runner through three innings, had retired one and had a runner on first in the fourth. Casie Stark then flew out to right for the second out.
However, both teams thought it was the third out and went to each dugout. Both teams then realized it was only the second out. Owens went out and tagged first, but the umpires ruled that since both teams vacated the field, Lakeland would get the runner back at first with two outs. The next batter, Wilber, hit a two-run home run just out of the reach of Watson in left field to make it a one-run game.
In the fifth inning, Owens loaded the bases with two outs, but Young flew out to right to end the threat. Then, after a 1-2-3 sixth inning for Owens in the sixth, Lakeland produced four runs off Benschoter in the home half, including a three-run home run with two outs and runners on the corners to cap the scoring.
Owens got one run back in the seventh on an RBI groundout from Herzog, but it wasn't enough. Haley Kreger (Bedford/Temperance, Mich.), who pinch ran for Gangwer, scored on the play.
Minarchick (2-for-3, two runs, 2B, RBI) and Prunty (2-for-4) led the Owens offense. Gangwer had the team's other hit and finished 1-for-3.
Benschoter fell to 9-5 on the season with the loss. She allowed eight hits, six runs and zero walks while striking out five.
Notes vs Lakeland
Owens was without four starters against Lakeland - Jacey Gray (Springfield/Holland, Ohio), Cassidy Rolf (Eastwood/Pemberville, Ohio), Lindsey Wiggins (Bradford/Brooker, Fla.) and Olivia Myers (Elmwood/Bloomdale, Ohio). Three players had classes, while another sat out with an injury.
Filling in for those four were Minarchick, who produced three hits in her first action offensively since March 9; Gangwer, who produced error free defense at third; the combination of Prunty and Benschoter at first; and Watson in left. Hanf moved in from left to play second, while Benschoter also hit in both games, which were her first games offensively since March 9-10. With that said, many players stepped up and played multiple positions to help the team out against Lakeland.
Game 3: Owens d. Cuyahoga 3-2, April 24, 2016
Gray and Rolf's return paid immediate dividends in today's first game, while Benschoter picked up a clutch save to finish a 3-2 win.
After a scoreless first from Minarchick in the circle, Gray led off the home half with a single and a steal of second before scoring on an RBI single up the middle from Rolf. Michayla Barga (Bradford/Bradford, Ohio), who reached on a fielder's choice before stealing second and third, also scored on a passed ball to give Owens a 2-0 lead through one.
Neither team scored in the second. Gray then led off the third with a single. After stealing second, she scored during the next at bat when Rolf reached via an error to make it 3-0.
Minarchick kept Cuyahoga off the scoreboard until the sixth when a leadoff error came around to score to trim the lead to two. Cuyahoga then produced three straight singles to lead off the seventh, which cut the lead to one with no outs and runners on the corners.
At that point, Benschoter entered for Minarchick and prevented further damage. She did so by inducing a pop out back to the circle before striking out the second batter. The final batter lined out to short to end the game.
Minarchick improved to 13-6 with the win. She allowed eight hits, two runs (one earned) and zero walks while striking out five. Benschoter picked up her second save with her 1-2-3 performance.
Gray led the Owens offense by finishing 2-for-3 with two runs and two stolen bases, while Rolf (1-for-3, RBI) and Barga (1-for-3, R, 2 SB) also helped out.
Game 4: Cuyahoga d. Owens 9-2, April 24, 2016
Cuyahoga scored three runs in the first, third and fifth innings to pick up a 9-2 win in today's second game and keep their OCCAC title hopes alive.
In the first, Cuyahoga scored three runs after a ball was lost in the sun in the outfield with two outs. They added three more in the third on back-to-back home runs from Serena Tucciarelli and Rachel Mattison.
Gangwer relieved Benschoter to begin the fifth and Cuyahoga responded with three runs. It was Gangwer's first pitching appearance since March 10. Minarchick came in to prevent further damage and pitched the final 2.2 innings.
Owens produced its lone two runs in the fourth. Barga picked up a one out bunt single before scoring on an RBI double to left center from Prunty, who then scored on an RBI single to left from Wiggins.
Barga finished 3-for-3 with a run and a stolen base to lead the Owens offense. Five others picked up one hit apiece.
Benschoter (9-6) took the loss after allowing five hits, six runs (three earned) and one walk over four innings. Gangwer allowed four hits and three runs in one-third of an inning, while Minarchick allowed one hit over the final 2.2 innings.
Notes vs Cuyahoga
Minarchick lowered her ERA to 1.57 with today's work. She has 113 strikeouts in 120.2 innings this year. In three games against Cuyahoga, she is 3-0 with three complete game victories. In four appearances, she has tossed 22.2 innings and allowed just two earned runs while striking out 11. In OCCAC play, she is 6-0 with one save and a 1.17 ERA. In 42 innings, she has struck out 33.