By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, OH---The Express softball team (12-0) continued to roll with a doubleheader sweep of Lorain County C.C. in their home opener on Wednesday.
Game 1:
Jordan Ratliff (5-0) remained undefeated on the mound for Owens, while the offense pounded out 17 hits en route to a 15-2 win.
Ratliff went the first three innings, while allowing three hits, two runs (one earned) and one walk. She struck out six.
Lindsey Bandeen (Springfield/Holland, Ohio) lined a two-run double to open the scoring in the first before Bridget Wolfe (Bellevue/Bellevue, Ohio) knocked her home with a single.
Alaina Haubert (Gibsonburg/Gibsonburg, Ohio) and Courtney Mowery (Genoa/Genoa, Ohio) each added RBIs in the second inning to give the Express a 6-0 lead after two.
After Lorain County scored a pair of runs in the top half of the third, the Express exploded for eight runs to put the game away.
Michelle Hollister (Airport/Newport, Mich.) started the scoring with an RBI triple. Sydney Barron (Jefferson/Monroe, Mich.) then had a two-run double before Haubert, Bandeen and Wolfe added RBI doubles. The other two runs came when Mowery had an RBI triple, and Tabitha Britt (Maumee/Maumee, Ohio) had a sacrifice fly. Owens had eight hits in the inning.
Following that inning, Kasey Graham (Clay/Oregon, Ohio) took over in the circle for the Express. She pitched a scoreless two innings while walking two and striking out two.
Tayler Redinger (Fremont Ross/Fremont, Ohio) added an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth to cap the scoring.
Mowery led the team offensively as she went 3-for-4 with a run and two RBI. Ashleigh Whitacre (Central Catholic/Toledo, Ohio), Haubert, Bandeen, Wolfe, Britt, and Hollister each added two hits. Whitacre was the only Express starter without an RBI, while Britt was the only starter without a run.
The game was played under snowy conditions in the middle innings before it tapered off towards the end.
Game 2:
Courtney Parr (Margaretta/Castalia, Ohio) dominated the Lorain County offense en route to a no-hitter to lead the Express in a 9-0 win.
Parr hit the leadoff batter in the fourth inning. Otherwise, the sophomore would have earned a nine strikeout perfect game. She joins Ashlyn Michalak (Springfield/Temperance, Mich.) in the no-hitter club for the Express this season.
While Parr was dominating in the circle, the Express offense scored runs in the last four innings capped by a walk-off, pinch hit, three run, inside the park home run by Allison Hausch (Bryan/Bryan, Ohio).
Hollister hit a three-run double to put Owens up 3-0 in the second inning. A sacrifice fly by Bandeen in the third stretched the lead to 4-0. Then, Britt attempted a sacrifice bunt, but Lorain County's pitcher threw errantly to first allowing Redinger (who was already on base) and Britt to score.
Overall, the Express outscored Lorain 24-2 in the day's action.
The next action for the Express will be their conference opener on the road against NJCAA Div. II No. 25-ranked Lakeland C.C. on Saturday.