By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Tiffin, OH---The Owens Express softball team swept a doubleheader on the road against Heidelberg University today by scores of 12-5 and 10-6.
Game 1:
Alaina Haubert (Gibsonburg/Gibsonburg, Ohio) and Lindsey Bandeen (Springfield/Holland, Ohio) each hit two-run home runs as the Express took advantage of six Heidelberg errors in a 12-5 victory.
Bandeen homered in the first inning to give Express starter Jordan Ratliff (Summerfield/Petersburg, Mich.) a two-run lead before she took the mound.
The lead was stretched to three when Ashleigh Whitacre (Central Catholic/Toledo, Ohio) walked and later scored on an error in the third inning.
Heidelberg tied the game in the bottom of the fourth when Julie Okorn took a 2-2, two-out pitch over the fence in right field for a three-run homer off Ratliff.
The score didn't remain tied for long as the Express plated three in the top of the fifth. Whitacre reached on an error with one out before Haubert hit a line drive home run to left center for a 5-3 lead.
Then, Bandeen reached on an error before Bridget Wolfe (Bellevue/Bellevue, Ohio) singled. Heidelberg allowed another unearned run to score when shortstop Tara Gaughan made an errant throw to first on Wolfe's infield single, which allowed Bandeen to score and make it 6-3. A dropped foul ball had previously allowed Wolfe to continue her at bat.
Heidelberg answered back with a run in their half of the fifth to make it 6-4 before the Express plated four more in the top of the sixth to put the game away.
Haubert was nearly fooled by a changeup, but took a 1-2 pitch to right field with the bases loaded to score the first two of the inning. Later, a bunt single by Bandeen scored two more, one earned and one unearned on a throwing error in the same play as Bandeen's hit.
A passed ball and an RBI single by Kristen Roznoski (Cardinal Stritch/Toledo, Ohio) scored two more in the seventh before a solo home run by Heidelberg's Lindsay Horwitz in the bottom half capped the scoring.
Haubert finished 2-for-3 with three runs and four RBI, while Bandeen went 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI. Roznoski went 1-for-3 with a run, an RBI and a stolen base.
Okorn led Heidelberg at the plate while going 2-for-3 with a three-run homer, a run and four RBI.
Melissa Lovati allowed 12 runs, 10 hits and eight walks while taking the loss on the mound for Heidelberg.
Ratliff (4-0) got the win after her five innings in which she allowed nine hits, four runs and one walk with five strikeouts. Kasey Graham (Clay/Oregon, Ohio) pitched the final two innings. She struck out one while allowing only the solo home run.
Game 2:
Roznoski led a 12 hit attack to catapult the Express to an 11-6 win in a game that featured 11 errors combined by both teams and 13 strikeouts by Express pitchers.
Roznoski reached on a bunt single to lead off the game before stealing second. She later scored on a passed ball before back-to-back RBI sacrifice bunts by Wolfe and Matea Rice (Clay/Oregon, Ohio) put Owens up 3-0 in the first. Wolfe then scored on a wild pitch to cap the inning's scoring.
An RBI single by Haubert in the second put Owens up 5-0 before Heidelberg broke through for two unearned runs in the bottom of the third off Express starter Elizabeth Weber (Oak Harbor/Elmore, Ohio).
A squeeze bunt by Whitacre and a fielding error put the Express back up 7-2 after three and a half innings before Heidelberg had their biggest inning of the day.
Express reliever Ashlyn Michalak (Springfield/Temperance, Mich.) allowed four runs (one earned) on four hits to reduce the lead to 7-6.
Then, a line drive RBI double to left center by Tayler Redinger (Fremont Ross/Fremont, Ohio) and an RBI single to short by Roznoski gave the Express a 9-6 lead.
Owens added an insurance run in the seventh on an RBI double to right center by Haubert.
Roznoski led the Express at the plate while going 3-for-4 with two runs, an RBI, a walk and three stolen bases. Haubert went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI, while Bandeen and Wolfe also added two hits apiece.
Horwitz went 3-for-4 with two runs to lead Heidelberg.
Weber pitched 2.1 innings and allowed two hits, two runs (zero earned), and two walks. She struck out five.
Michalak (3-0) went the final 4.2 innings while allowing six hits and four runs (one earned). She struck out eight.
Ali Sayre took the loss for Heidelberg as she allowed 12 hits, 10 runs (six earned), and three walks in her complete game performance.
Nine of the 16 runs scored were unearned. The Express only allowed one earned run among their six allowed.
The Express (10-0) is now off to the best ten game start in the tenure of head coach Duane Lanham, who is in his eighth season.
They will next take on Lorain County C.C. at home on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. It is the first home action of the season.