By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Lorain, OH---Michelle Hollister (Airport/Newport, Mich.) helped the No. 14-ranked Owens softball team continue its dominance this season with a sweep of Lorain County C.C. on Wednesday.
With the wins, the Express sweep the season series from Lorain County and now sit at 20-0 on the season.
Game 1 - Owens 10 Lorain County 0
Ashlyn Michalak (Springfield/Temperance, Mich.) held Lorain County's offense to three hits over five scoreless innings, while Hollister led the Express offense with a 2-for-3 performance that included a three-run home run, two runs scored and five RBI.
Early on, the Express offense failed to find their stroke with the game remaining scoreless through two innings. However, the nation's leading hitter, Kristen Roznoski (Cardinal Stritch/Toledo, Ohio) did what she does best to get the offense going. The sophomore leadoff hitter singled on a bunt to first base with one out. Then, she stole second and third base. On the throw to third, the catcher's throw sailed high - allowing Roznoski to score.
Meanwhile, Michalak only faced one over the minimum through three innings - striking out three and only allowing a bunt single in the first inning.
In the fourth and fifth innings, the Express exploded for nine runs on six hits.
Lindsey Bandeen (Springfield/Holland, Ohio) walked and was sacrificed to second by Matea Rice (Clay/Oregon, Ohio) to lead off the fourth. Kelley Molloy (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio) then walked to put runners on first and second and set up Allison Hausch's (Bryan/Bryan, Ohio) RBI single. Then, Hollister hit a line shot to left field for her three run home run to give Owens a 5-0 lead.
The nation's fifth leading hitter, Alaina Haubert (Gibsonburg/Gibsonburg, Ohio) then doubled to lead off the fifth inning. She was sacrificed to third by Bridget Wolfe (Bellevue/Bellevue, Ohio) before Bandeen knocked her in with a single through the left side. After a groundout and a wild pitch putting Bandeen on third, Molloy walked and stole second base to put two runners in scoring position for Hausch. Then, Hausch walked on four pitches to bring Hollister to the plate. She proceeded to line a double to left field scoring two. Roznoski followed that up with a two-RBI single to right field to cap the day's scoring.
Michalak then got Lorain County 1-2-3 in the fifth inning to end the game and pick up her sixth win to zero losses. The only trouble she faced was in the fourth when
Lorain County loaded the bases with no outs on two singles and a walk. However, Michalak then struck out the next two before getting a pop out to end the threat.
Overall, she struck out six and walked one in five innings while lowering her team best ERA to 1.52.
Emily Thompson took the loss for Lorain County.
Hollister, Roznoski, Haubert and Bandeen each got two hits for Owens, while Hausch provided the ninth and final hit. The game was the second consecutive game with a home run for Hollister, who is now hitting .405 with 23 RBI this season.
Roznoski finished the game 2-for-4 with one run, two RBI, and two stolen bases.
Game 2: Owens 11 Lorain County 1
The Express scored nine runs in the second inning to put the game away early as Courtney Parr (Margaretta/Castalia, Ohio) picked up her second win of the season.
Parr went the first three innings and allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two. She lowered her season ERA to 2.61.
Offensively, Roznoski and Hollister once again led the way. Roznoski went 3-for-4 with two runs, one RBI and a stolen base, while Hollister went 2-for-3 with a run, two RBI and a stolen base.
Bandeen walked to lead off the big second inning for Owens. Sydney Barron (Jefferson/Monroe, Mich.) then sacrificed her to second before Hallie Thompson (Clay/Oregon, Ohio) reached on an error. Thompson then stole second before Morgan Gray (Clyde/Clyde, Ohio) picked up her first RBI of the season on a bunt single. Gray then stole second before Hollister picked up her sixth and seventh RBI's of the day with a single to centerfield. She was thrown out at second trying to make sure the second run scored.
With no one on and Owens up 3-0, Roznoski singled on a 2-0 pitch before Ashleigh Whitacre (Central Catholic/Toledo, Ohio) walked. Haubert then delivered a line drive three-run homer to left field to put the Express up 6-0. Nine pitches later, the Express loaded the bases up on singles by Bandeen and Wolfe, along with a hit by pitch to Barron. Thompson then doubled to center field to score two before a wild pitch later scored the ninth run.
Owens added another run in the third when Roznoski singled and later scored on a wild pitch.
Lorain County added a run on a solo home run by cleanup hitter Erin Phillips in the fourth inning off reliever Elizabeth Weber (Oak Harbor/Elmore, Ohio), who pitched the final two innings for Owens. Weber allowed one hit, one run, and two walks while striking out four in her outing.
Then, in the fifth, Hollister doubled, stole third and scored on an RBI single by Roznoski to put Owens up 11-1.
Roznoski finished 5-for-8 in the doubleheader to raise her nation best batting average to .565. She also upped her stolen base total to 24. Her team finished the second game 12-for-25 from the plate with two walks and four stolen bases.
Phillips took the loss for Lorain County.
The Express will now take on Grand Rapids C.C. at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday at home.