UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio – The fifth innings proved to be the scoring inning for John Carroll University (JCU) as the Blue Streaks scored multiple runs in both games in the frame to defeat the Wilmington College softball team 4-0 and 8-3 in Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) action on Monday.
JCU plated two runs in the bottom of the second on a hit by pitch and a single from Miranda Noday in the bottom of the second. The Fightin' Quakers looked to tie the game in the top of the third, but a strikeout with runners on the corners to end the threat. Neither team scored in the fourth inning, but the Blue Streaks doubled their lead with a solo home run and a single to take game one.
Grace Shell dipped to 3-3 with the loss despite striking out eight batters and allowing four earned runs in six innings. Jennifer Patterson got the win for JCU allowing four hits with five strikeouts in a complete game shutout.
Four Quakers – Savannah Hooper, Allison Pierce, Alecia Kemp and Mariyah Burkhardt – all had one hit each for Wilmington in game one. The Blue Streaks put 10 hits on the board.
In game two, Wilmington scored first as an RBI-groundout from Kemp plated Savannah Hooper in the top of the first, but two Quaker errors in the bottom of the inning led to two runs (one unearned) for the Blue Streaks.
After a scoreless second inning from both teams, Kemp again drove Savannah Hooper home, this time with a single to left field tying the game. A two-out, two-RBI double from JCU in the bottom of the fourth regained the hosts the lead, and the four-run fifth inning that followed put the game away.
Kemp finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs in game two while Savannah Hooper went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Pierce also went 2-for-4. Four Blue Steaks had multi-hit games as JCU finished with 13 hits as a team compared to Wilmington's nine.
The Quakers (7-7, 0-4 OAC) host Ohio Northern University on Wednesday.