By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, OH---Strong pitching and key hits helped the No. 13-ranked Express softball team (22-0, 2-0 OCCAC) maintain their undefeated start to the season with a home sweep of Grand Rapids C.C.
Game 1: Owens 4 Grand Rapids 1
A three-run third inning provided Express starter Jordan Ratliff (Summerfield/Petersburg, Mich.) with the run support she needed, but it didn't come easy.
Owens centerfielder Kristen Roznoski (Cardinal Stritch/Toledo, Ohio) made her first error of the season on the game's second pitch - putting a runner on second with no outs. However, after a sacrifice bunt, Ratliff got a strikeout and a groundout to end the threat.
Pitching dominated the first two and a half innings as Ratliff and Grand Rapids starter, Ashley Raap, only allowed one hit through that period. Then, the Express offense broke through.
Michelle Hollister (Airport/Newport, Mich.) doubled to right center with one out before Roznoski singled on a bunt. On the throw to first, the ball was mishandled allowing Hollister to score the game's first run. Then, Kelley Molloy (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio) walked before Alaina Haubert (Gibsonburg/Gibsonburg, Ohio) hit a rope to left field that rolled to the fence scoring both runners and putting Owens up 3-0.
After Ratliff cruised through the fourth, she ran into trouble in the fifth as Grand Rapids put runners on second and third with one out. However, Haubert fielded a ground ball at third base and threw home to get the second out before Ratliff struck the next batter out.
Then, three straight singles put a run across in the sixth for Grand Rapids. With runners on second and third with no outs, Haubert fielded another ground ball, faked the throw to first, spun, and gunned to home for the first out. Ratliff then got a key strikeout before getting the final out on a groundball to short.
An RBI single by Tayler Redinger (Fremont Ross/Fremont, Ohio) pushed the Express lead to 4-1 in the bottom half.
Ratliff (9-0) then pitched around a one out single in the seventh to finish her complete game, seven strikeout performance. She walked three and gave up four hits while lowering her season ERA to 2.39.
Haubert led the Express at the plate with a 2-for-3, two double, two RBI performance, while Hollister went 2-for-2 with two doubles, a walk, and a run. Roznoski went 2-for-4 with a run.
Overall, Owens outhit Grand Rapids eight to four with Raap taking the loss for Grand Rapids. The four runs tied for the lowest single game run output for the Express this season.
Game 2: Owens 12 Grand Rapids 0
The Express offense clicked, while Ashlyn Michalak (7-0) dominated in the team's eleventh five-inning game this year.
Michalak walked one in the first, but struck out the side swinging to set up the Express offense. Roznoski led off the bottom half with a single and Ashleigh Whitacre (Central Catholic/Toledo, Ohio) was hit by a pitch to put the first two batters on. Those two then pulled off a double steal before Haubert had an RBI groundout to second. A fielding error later allowed Whitacre to score - putting Owens up 2-0.
Owens left the bases loaded in the second inning before putting across nine runs in the third inning.
Lindsey Bandeen (Springfield/Holland, Ohio) tripled to right center with one out. Then, Matea Rice (Clay/Oregon, Ohio) hit a ground ball to the shortstop, who checked the runner, but overthrew the first baseman - allowing Bandeen to score. Morgan Gray (Clyde/Clyde, Ohio) then pinch ran for Rice before pinch hitter Allison Hausch (Bryan/Bryan, Ohio) singled through the right side putting runners on first and third. Molloy then re-entered for Hausch and teamed with Gray on a double steal to put Owens up 4-0.
A bases loaded walk by Whitacre, a two run double by Haubert, a wild pitch, an error, and a two-run triple by Bandeen added seven more runs in the inning.
Michalak then got Grand Rapids out 1-2-3 in the fourth inning before Owens added their final run when Molloy doubled and advanced two bases on a wild pitch in the bottom half.
Three singles in the fifth for Grand Rapids, the first ones of the game off Michalak, loaded the bases with two outs. However, the freshman induced a groundball to second to end the game.
Michalak allowed three hits and one walk while striking out nine over her five innings. She came within one inning of her second no-hitter this season while lowering her season ERA to a team best 1.30.
Casey Cherry took the loss for Grand Rapids. Express pitchers have now allowed only 11 runs over the last eight games.
Redinger led Owens at the plate with a 3-for-3, one run, one stolen base performance. Bandeen went 2-for-3 with two triples, two runs and two RBI, while Haubert went 1-for-3 with a run, a double and three RBI. The Express stole six bases as a team.
Notes:
Owens (22-0, 2-0 OCCAC) will now take on Jackson C.C. at home on Friday at 3 p.m. Prior to Thursday's doubleheader, Owens moved up one spot in the NJCAA Div. II poll to No. 13. Roznoski now stands alone as the nation's leading hitter. Her 4-for-7 performance today kept her at .565, and she now has 25 stolen bases. Meanwhile, Haubert now has a team best 30 RBIs this year to go along with her .530 batting average, .568 on base percentage, and 1.000 slugging percentage.