By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, OH---Facing cold temperatures and heavy, swirling winds, the No. 13-ranked Express softball team continued to find ways to win games with big plays in key situations.
They defeated Jackson C.C. 4-1 and 13-5 (six innings) at home on Friday to remain undefeated at 24-0. They also remain as the only undefeated team in the NJCAA Div. II poll.
Game 1: Owens 4 Jackson 1
Lindsey Bandeen (Springfield/Holland, Ohio) lined a two run triple to the left field wall in the third inning to give the Express all the runs they needed, while Jordan Ratliff pitched a complete game for her 10th win of the year.
Michelle Hollister (Airport/Newport, Mich.) singled through the left side, and Kristen Roznoski (Cardinal Stritch/Toledo, Ohio) singled into left field to open the third inning. Ashleigh Whitacre (Central Catholic/Toledo, Ohio) sacrificed them over before Alaina Haubert (Gibsonburg/Gibsonburg, Ohio) hit a ground ball to the third baseman, who threw home to get Hollister for the second out. Haubert then stole second base before Bandeen lined her triple with two outs to put Owens up 2-0.
Meanwhile, Ratliff and her defense got out of possible scoring threats in multiple innings. Jackson's leadoff hitter reached in the second, third and sixth innings but didn't score. In the fourth, Jackson mounted a two out rally with a walk and two singles to load the bases. However, Ratliff got a strikeout to end the inning.
Jackson scored their only run in the fifth when Libby Tremain tripled to left field on a ball that Express left fielder Kelley Molloy (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio) had deflect off her glove when she dove toward the foul line in an effort to make the catch.
In the sixth inning, Bridget Wolfe (Bellevue/Bellevue, Ohio) led off with a double to left field for the Express. However, the left fielder threw errantly to second while getting the ball in and Wolfe advanced all the way home to put Owens up 4-1.
Ratliff (10-0) then pitched her first 1-2-3 inning since the first inning to close out the game. She finished allowing five hits and three walks while striking out four. Four of the five hits were singles.
The heavy wind influenced the game's first hit when Haubert hit a high fly ball to left field in the first inning that caught the wind and landed in the infield dirt.
Haubert ended up as the lone Express player with two hits as she finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. Bandeen went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Roznoski and Tayler Redinger (Fremont Ross/Fremont, Ohio) scored the other two runs aside from Wolfe and Haubert.
Sarah Wilson took the loss for Jackson.
Game 2: Owens 13 Jackson 5
Kasey Graham (Clay/Oregon, Ohio) relieved Express starter Ashlyn Michalak (Springfield/Temperance, Mich.) in the fourth inning with one out, a runner on first and a one run lead. She managed to get out of the jam and hold Jackson scoreless the rest of the way as Owens got 17 hits off Jackson starter Paige Winchell, who took the loss.
Owens jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on a suicide squeeze by Bandeen, and RBI singles by Wolfe and Redinger.
In the second, Roznoski reached base on a walk to lead off the inning and then stole one of her four bases in the game. Whitacre sacrificed her to third before Haubert had an RBI groundout to third base. Bandeen later singled to right center to score Haubert and put Owens up 5-0.
Jackson put a run across in the third before Owens answered right back with one of their own in the bottom half. Molloy singled to lead off the inning, advanced to second on a wild pitch, third on a sacrifice bunt by Redinger, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Hollister.
Then, Jackson got a walk and four straight hits to chase Michalak in the fourth. The lead had been cut to one at 6-5 when Graham came in to strike out two of the next three batters to hold the lead.
Feeling the momentum swinging towards Jackson, the Express jumped all over Winchell in the bottom of the fourth with six runs on four hits. A bases loaded wild pitch scored the first run, followed by an RBI single by Molloy, an RBI single by Hollister, and a two run single by Whitacre. Mixed in the middle was a throwing error that scored one of the runs. At the end of the inning, the Express held a 12-5 lead.
After Graham held Jackson scoreless over the next two innings, the Express ended the game when Haubert hit a single through the middle with the bases loaded.
Michalak's final line included 3.1 innings, six hits, five runs, two walks and four strikeouts, while Graham's final line included 2.2 innings, two hits, one walk and four strikeouts.
Roznoski reached base via a single or walk four of her five times at bat and stole second each time. The only time she didn't reach base was on a sacrifice bunt. The sophomore raised her nation best batting average to .573 after her 4-for-6 performance in the doubleheader. She now has 29 stolen bases, as well.
Along with Roznoski, Molloy and Redinger also got three hits. Molloy added two runs and an RBI, while Redinger added a run and an RBI. Whitacre, Haubert, Bandeen and Hollister added two RBI apiece.
Aside from two previous 15 run games, the Express recorded their third highest run output of the season. With their 17-for-26 performance from the plate, they raised their team batting average to .432. They had the leadoff runner reach base in every inning.
Notes:
The Express are now scheduled to travel to Midland, Mich. to take on Delta College on Saturday at 1 p.m. Rain is in the forecast, however.