By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Jackson, MI---The No. 8 Express softball team (30-0, 2-0 OCCAC) remained perfect on Friday with a doubleheader sweep over Jackson C.C. (13-21, 13-5 MCCAA). The two wins also completed a season sweep of Jackson.
Game 1: Owens 9 Jackson 1
A nine-run third inning gave the Express all the offense they needed in a 9-1 win while Jordan Ratliff (Summerfield/Petersburg, Mich.) picked up her 13th win.
Kristen Roznoski (Cardinal Stritch/Toledo, Ohio), Lindsey Bandeen (Springfield/Holland, Ohio) and Alaina Haubert (Gibsonburg/Gibsonburg, Ohio) all had big days offensively as the team combined for 18 runs and 25 hits.
Ratliff only pitched three innings due to the large offensive outburst by her teammates, while Courtney Parr (Margaretta/Castalia, Ohio) pitched the final two innings.
Ratliff allowed two hits and had no walks while striking out three. Parr gave up three hits and one run while striking out one.
After Owens only got one hit through the first two innings while sending the minimum six batters to the plate, they got things started in the third when Kelley Molloy (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio) singled off the third base bag into left field.
Allison Hausch (Bryan/Bryan, Ohio) then sacrificed her to second before ten of the next 11 batters reached.
Michelle Hollister (Airport/Newport, Mich.) knocked Molloy in with a double to left center, Roznoski singled on a bunt and then stole second base before Ashleigh Whitacre (Central Catholic/Toledo, Ohio) singled to third base scoring Hollister. On the play, Jackson's third baseman made an errant throw to third trying to get Roznoski and allowed her to score making the score 3-0.
After Haubert flew out to left field, Bandeen hit a rocket to center field for a two-run home run. Bridget Wolfe (Bellevue/Bellevue, Ohio) and Matea Rice (Clay/Oregon, Ohio) then each singled to put runners on first and second. Molloy then doubled to left field scoring Wolfe before Hausch singled to right field scoring Rice and Molloy to make the score 8-0.
After Hollister reached on a fielding error by Jackson's starting pitcher Paige Winchell, Roznoski belted a double to right center scoring Hausch. On the play, Hollister was thrown out at home for the final out.
With the damage done, the Express cruised. The only issue left was whether the game would end in five innings, and Jackson almost extended the game off Parr in the fifth when they put a run across and had runners on first and third with one out.
However, a fly ball to short center field wasn't deep enough to score the runner from third and the final batter hit a ground ball to Haubert at third, who threw home to get the runner for the last out.
Roznoski finished 2-for-3 with a run, an RBI and a stolen base, Molloy went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs and an RBI, and Bandeen went 1-for-3 with a run, a home run and two RBIs.
Game 2: Owens 9 Jackson 1
Roznoski, Haubert and Bandeen combined to go 11-for-12 with seven runs, seven RBIs and two stolen bases as the Express scored in four of the six innings to take home another 9-1 victory over Jackson (13-21, 13-5 MCCAA)
In the first, Roznoski singled on a bunt before Whitacre sacrificed her to second. Haubert then lined a single up the middle - just past the reach of Jackson's shortstop to score Roznoski and put Owens up 1-0. Then, on the very next pitch, Bandeen hit her second home run of the day to straight away center field - making the score 3-0.
After Express starter Ashlyn Michalak (Springfield/Temperance, Mich.) got Jackson 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning, Owens got a leadoff double from Molloy and another bunt single from Roznoski in the second, but stranded runners on second and third.
An RBI single by Jackson's Megan Mosher pulled Jackson within two runs in the bottom of the second, but Michalak got a strikeout with runners on second and third to end the threat.
Then, leading off the third, Haubert took an 0-2 pitch deep to left field for a solo home run to put the Express up 4-1.
Kasey Graham (Clay/Oregon, Ohio) then relieved Michalak to begin the third. Things didn't start off well as the first three runners reached on two singles and an error to load the bases with no outs. However, Graham struck the next two batters out and then got a ground ball back to herself to end the threat.
Owens then carried that momentum into the fourth inning as they put three more runs on the board. Hausch doubled to right field, Hollister hit an RBI double to left field, Roznoski singled to center and then stole second, Whitacre hit a sacrifice fly to left, and Haubert lined an RBI single to left field to make the score 7-1.
The game's next six batters were then retired in order before Jackson put the first two runners on in the fifth via singles. However, a fielder's choice groundout and two strikeouts by Graham ended that threat.
In the sixth, Roznoski got her fourth hit on a double to left center before Haubert knocked her in with her fourth hit - on her second home run of the game - to left field two batters later.
Graham (6-0) then induced three groundouts in the sixth to end the game. In her four innings, she allowed four hits and no walks, while striking out four. All four strikeouts were in key situations and were via Jackson's four and five hitters.
Sarah Wilson took the loss for Jackson.
Roznoski finished 4-for-4 with a double, three runs and two stolen bases, while Bandeen went 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, a run scored, a two run homer and two RBIs. Neither of them matched Haubert's day, however, as the sophomore third baseman went 4-for-4 with three runs, a solo homer, a two run homer, and five RBIs.
With her performance today, Haubert raised her batting average to .510 this season while leading the team in doubles (14), home runs (7), RBIs (41), total bases (90), and slugging percentage (.938)...Roznoski raised her team-best batting average to .567, while also leading the team in runs (46) and stolen bases (34)...The team raised their batting average to .424, while they lowered their team ERA to 2.41...Opposing pitchers have a 10.57 ERA against the Express offense, and the lowest batting average for a regular starter for Owens is .333...Express catcher Kristen Shock (Northview/Toledo, Ohio) got her first action of the season in the first game after missing the first 28 due to injury...She caught the final two innings and grounded out to short in her only at-bat.