By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, Ohio---The Owens Community College softball team picked up six victories this week over conference foes Sinclair Community College and Cuyahoga Community College, including a sweep of Sinclair in today's home opener.
Next up for Owens (21-10 overall, 6-0 in Ohio Community College Athletic Conference play) is a road doubleheader at Lakeland Community College on Wednesday beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Kailey Minarchick (Columbia Station/Columbia Station, Ohio) went 4-0 with a 0.80 ERA, a save and 20 strikeouts in 26.1 innings pitched, while Miranda Benschoter (Elmwood/Bloomdale, Ohio) was 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and nine strikeouts over 11.2 innings.
Cassidy Rolf (Eastwood/Pemberville, Ohio) hit .500 with seven RBI, while Jacey Gray (Springfield/Holland, Ohio) hit .450 with 10 runs, seven RBI and nine stolen bases.
Game 1: Owens d. Sinclair 5-4 (April 12, 2016)
Despite a 3-for-4, four RBI game from Sinclair's Liz Hillen, Owens pulled out a 5-4 win over Sinclair to open the week behind a four run fifth inning.
Neither team could mount much of anything through four innings until both teams combined for seven runs in the fifth. Owens got things started with a two-run triple to left field from Gray, which was followed by an RBI grounder from Michayla Barga (Bradford/Bradford, Ohio) and an RBI single from Ericca Herzog (Southview/Sylvania, Ohio).
Then, with two outs in the home half, Hillen roped a three-run double to left center. One batter later, Minarchick replaced Benschoter in the circle and escaped further damage in the inning.
Olivia Myers (Elmwood/Bloomdale, Ohio) executed a squeeze bunt in the sixth to add an insurance run for Owens, which came in handy as Hillen's seventh inning RBI double only cut the lead in half instead of tying the game.
Benschoter improved to 8-4 on the season with the win. She allowed three runs - all unearned, while striking out four over 4.2 plus innings. Minarchick, meanwhile, struck out three over 2.1 innings to pick up her third save of the season.
Offensively, Barga (2-for-4, R, 2 SB), Lindsey Wiggins (Bradford/Brooker, Fla.) (2-for-3) and Gray (1-for-3, R, 2 RBI) led Owens.
Game 2: Owens d. Sinclair 9-1 in 5 Innings (April 12, 2016)
Owens closed Monday's doubleheader with a 9-1 win by scoring at least one run in every inning.
In the first, Angelique Prunty (Elyria/Elyria, Ohio) singled through the right side with the bases loaded to give Owens a 2-0 lead. Emily Young (Maumee/Maumee, Ohio) followed with an RBI single before the inning was over.
In the second, Barga's infield single to short scored Gray, who singled and stole second earlier in the inning. Then, in the third, Owens added three more runs on RBI singles from Myers and Gray. Myers scored the third run on a throwing error as Owens led 7-0 through three.
Wiggins belted an RBI single up the middle in the fourth to score Haley Kreger (Bedford/Temperance, Mich.), who came in to pinch run for Rolf earlier in the inning.
Following that, Sinclair scored its lone run on an infield single in the home half of the fourth, but Rolf's RBI double in the fifth provided the winning margin. Jordan Hanf (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio), who walked earlier in the inning, scored on the play.
Rolf (3-for-4, R, RBI), Gray (2-for-4, R, RBI, SB) and Barga (2-for-3, R, RBI, SB) led Owens offensively, while six others picked up one hit apiece.
Minarchick went the distance to pick up the win and improve to 8-6 on the season. She allowed five hits, one run (zero earned) and one walk, while striking out two over five.
Game 3: Owens d. Cuyahoga 13-0 (April 14, 2016)
Gray and Rolf combined to finish 6-for-9 with four runs, six RBI, a double, two triples and a stolen base as Owens cruised in the first game of its doubleheader against Cuyahoga on Wednesday.
Both teams struggled to put across a run through the first four innings, but that all changed in the fifth inning as Owens put across four runs on an RBI single from Gray, an RBI triple from Rolf and an RBI triple from Barga, who actually produced her triple despite just hitting the ball in front of the plate. She also scored on the play after a throwing error.
Minarchick then retired the next six batters she faced, which set up a nine run seventh inning for her offense. Myers singled to start the inning, and then Gray roped an RBI triple to right. Rolf followed with a run scoring single through the left side.
Following a pitching change, Prunty lined a two-run double to left center, Young had an RBI single to center and Prunty scored on a wild pitch. Owens wasn't done, though, as Myers and Gray added two more RBI singles, and Rolf added her second RBI hit of the inning on a double to left center to close the scoring.
Minarchick then retired the side 1-2-3 in the seventh to finish off Cuyahoga. The freshman righty set down the final 10 batters she faced while improving to 9-6 overall. She allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out two. The run she allowed was unearned.
Gray (3-for-5, 3 R, 3 RBI, SB), Rolf (3-for-4, R, 3 RBI, BB, 2B, 3B), Herzog (3-for-4, R), Barga (2-for-5, R, RBI, SB), Young (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI) and Myers (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, SB) all had big games for the Owens offense.
Game 4: Owens d. Cuyahoga 5-4 (April 14, 2016)
Owens closed Wednesday by scoring five runs in the first inning and then hanging on for their second 5-4 win of the week.
A wild, sloppy start to the game saw the first run score when Barga struck out swinging, but reach on a passed ball. Gray scored on the play for the first run.
The ensuing batter, Herzog, lined an RBI single to center to score Rolf, who singled to center earlier in the inning. Next, Wiggins became the second batter to reach in the inning despite striking out - this time it came on a wild pitch. On the play, Barga scored.
Later in the inning, Young got an RBI single to center to score Herzog before Wiggins scored on another wild pitch.
In the home half, a slow roller to second with two outs led to an error and three unearned runs. Minarchick then allowed her first and only earned run of the day when Cuyahoga produced a fielder's choice RBI groundout in the third inning to pull within one.
Following that, Minarchick stranded a runner on second to end the fourth, a runner on third to end the fifth and runners on second and third to end the sixth. In the seventh, Cuyahoga had two deep fly balls to left and a hard shot down the right field line land in the gloves of Owens defenders.
Minarchick allowed 11 hits and four runs (three earned) with three strikeouts over seven innings. She improved to 10-6 with the win.
Game 5: Owens d. Sinclair 3-0 (April 17, 2016)
Benschoter was dominant in the circle as Owens picked up a 3-0 win in today's first game against Sinclair.
The freshman righty allowed just five hits, while striking out five over her seven innings. She improved to 9-4 this year with the performance.
In the fourth inning, Owens produced a pair of runs thanks to some sloppy defense from Sinclair. Barga singled to center with one out and stole second to start things off. Myers then reached on a throwing error by Sinclair's pitcher, and Barga scored on the play for the game's first run.
Later, a sacrifice fly from Prunty allowed Myers to score.
In the fifth, Rolf added a sacrifice fly of her own to score Gray, who singled and stole second and third earlier in the inning.
Benschoter retired the final 10 batters she faced. That run started on an 8-2 double play in which Barga caught a fly ball in center and threw home to Prunty, who tagged a runner out to end the inning.
Five different players picked up one hit apiece for Owens, while three players had one run apiece.
Game 6: Owens d. Sinclair 10-2 in 5 Innings (April 17, 2016)
An offensive explosion saw Owens score 10 runs over the first three innings to complete today's doubleheader in just five innings.
Gray, who scored three runs from the leadoff spot in the game, singled and stole second to open the home half of the first. She then scored on an RBI single through the right side from Rolf to give Owens a 1-0 lead through the game's first six outs.
In the second, Owens plated six runs and forced two pitching changes. Ashley Guthrie (Milan/Versailles, Ind.) started things off with a sacrifice fly to right. On the same play, Young scored on a throwing error.
Following that, Barga produced a bases loaded walk. Gray and Rolf then each scored on two separate wild pitches before an RBI single from Wiggins closed the inning's offensive output.
Three more runs came across the plate in the third on RBI singles from Gray, Rolf and Myers.
Gray (2-for-3, 3 R, RBI, BB, 2 SB), Rolf (2-for-2, R, 2 RBI, BB, SB) and Wiggins (2-for-2, R, RBI) led the Owens offense, while four others also picked up one hit apiece. Hanf added two runs.
Minarchick improved to 11-6 overall this year with the win. She allowed eight hits and two walks over five innings while racking up 10 strikeouts.