By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Flint, MI---The No. 14-ranked Express softball team continued their record start under head coach Duane Lanham with two more wins today.
After sweeping Mott C.C., Owens is 18-0 (2-0 OCCAC). It is the best start for Owens under the eighth year head coach.
Game 1:
The Express offense clicked on all cylinders in a 10-2 win in the first game.
After her team stranded the bases loaded in the first inning, Express starter Jordan Ratliff (Summerfield/Petersburg, Mich.) needed only four pitches to retire the side in the bottom half.
Then, the Express offense broke through for five runs in the next half inning. Lindsey Bandeen (Springfield/Holland, Ohio) singled through the left side to start the rally. Kelley Molloy (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio) sacrificed her over before Tayler Redinger (Fremont Ross/Fremont, Ohio) popped out to third. That's when five straight runners reached base with two outs.
Michelle Hollister (Airport/Newport, Mich.) doubled to center to score Bandeen before Kristen Roznoski (Cardinal Stritch/Toledo, Ohio) walked. Hollister stole third on Rosnoski's ball four, and then Roznoski stole second one pitch into Ashleigh Whitacre's (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio) at bat. Whitacre then singled to left scoring Hollister and Roznoski.
A wild pitch then moved Whitacre to second before Alaina Haubert (Gibsonburg/Gibsonburg, Ohio) hit a line drive over the left center field wall for her fourth home run of the season to put Owens up 5-0. Haubert came into the game as the nation's leading hitter at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Div. II level (.571).
Mott scored a run off Ratliff in the bottom of the second before Owens answered back with three more in the third.
Just like the second inning, Bandeen singled to start the rally. Molloy walked, and Redinger sacrificed both runners up a base. Hollister then knocked Bandeen in with an RBI groundout to make the score 6-1.
Roznoski then took the ball the opposite way to left center for a triple, scoring Molloy. Whitacre then knocked her in with a line drive single to left field putting Owens up 8-1.
Owens added two more in the fifth on a throwing error and a delayed steal of home by Roznoski on a double steal. Mott added one in the fifth on a solo home run by Ashley Brimley.
The Express, the nation's second best offensive team heading into the game, finished 12-for-22 offensively in the game, led by Whitacre's 3-for-4, one run and three RBI performance. They reached base in 17 of 27 plate appearances and only struck out once.
Bridget Wolfe (Bellevue/Bellevue, Ohio) also finished 3-for-4, Rosznoski went 2-for-3 with three runs, one RBI, a triple, a walk and three stolen bases, and Haubert went 1-for-2 with a run, two RBI, a home run, a stolen base and two walks. Bandeen added a 2-for-3, two run performance.
Ratfliff (8-0) went all five innings while allowing five hits, two runs, and two walks. She struck out three. Ashley Mousseau took the loss for Mott.
Game 2:
The Express overcame a four home run performance from Mott C.C. in the second game to sweep the doubleheader with a 9-5 score.
Express starter Elizabeth Weber (Oak Harbor/Elmore, Ohio) gave up four runs on four hits and three home runs over the first three innings, but Owens added five runs of their own in the first three innings.
In the first, Haubert executed a suicide squeeze to score Roznoski to put Owens up 1-0. After Weber gave up a solo home run in the bottom half, the Express added three in the second - all with two outs.
Redinger singled to left field before Hollister lined a home run to left center. Roznoski then tripled to left center and scored when the throw to third was errant, making the score 4-1.
The lead was stretched to four in the third when Molloy knocked in Bandeen with a single to left field.
That's when Mott's offense had their biggest inning of the day with three runs in the bottom of the third on a two run home run by Emily Ockerman and a solo home run by Alexandra Toma, making the score 5-4.
Mott then tied it in the fifth off Owens reliever Ashylyn Michalak (Springfield/Temperance, Mich.), who had entered to begin the fourth inning, on Ockerman's second home run.
Owens didn't allow a tie game for long as they put two on the board in the sixth. Molloy singled to left leading off the inning, before Hallie Thompson (Clay/Oregon, Ohio) lined a bunt single through the drawn in defense on the left side.
Then, Roznoski got a bunt single in front of the plate to score Molloy. As Roznoski beat the throw, the ball bounced off her body and allowed Thompson to move to third. Roznoski then stole second before Whitacre lined an RBI single to left to score Thompson and move Roznoski to third. The inning ended when Haubert flew out to center and Roznoski was thrown out at home trying to score on the play.
Ratliff then relieved Michalak to begin the sixth. The sophomore struck out the first two batters swinging before inducing a ground ball to third to send it to the seventh.
Molloy then added an RBI double to score Bandeen and later scored on a fielding error by the first baseman to make the score 9-5 through six and a half.
After giving up a leadoff single down the left field line in the last half inning, Ratliff settled down to strikeout the next two batters. She got the final out on a 1-5-3 groundball.
Overall, Ratliff struck out four in two scoreless innings to pick up her first save to go with her 8-0 record. Michalak (5-0) got the win with her two innings of relief. Briana Hicks took the loss for Mott C.C.
Molloy and Roznoski led the way offensively for Owens as they each went 3-for-4 with two runs. Molloy added two RBI while Roznoski added a triple and a stolen base. Whitacre went 2-for-2 with an RBI.
Notes:
Roznoski is now batting .556, slugging .722, and getting on base at a .609 clip with 21 stolen bases from the leadoff spot this season. She may vault to the top of the nation's hitting leaders when tomorrow's rankings come out. Her teammate, Haubert, is now hitting. 537 and slugging .981 this year with a team leading 22 RBI. She is also expected to be ranked among the nation's leading hitters tomorrow.
Once again, the Express offense excelled in the second game as they finished 13-for-33. Overall, they are hitting .429 through 18 games with a .491 team on base percentage. They are averaging over nine runs and 11 hits per game.
The Express will next take on Lorain County C.C. on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. in Elyria, Ohio. They are the nation's only undefeated team in the top 25 poll.