UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio – The Wilmington College softball team dropped a pair of Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) contests at John Carroll University on Saturday, falling 4-3 in game one and 4-1 in the nightcap.
In game one, the Fightin' Quakers got on the scoreboard early as Megan Crager led off the inning by drawing a walk and advanced to third on a single from Arianna Layne. After a strikeout, Lindsey Carter, Wilmington's starting pitcher, helped her own cause by launching a three-run home run to left field. Trailing 3-0, the Blue Streaks got two runs back on a single up the middle from Jess Lichota with two outs. The visitors would get a runner into scoring position in the top of the second, but couldn't deliver an RBI-hit this time around. The hosts would have that exact same situation in the bottom half of the inning, and JCU delivered again as Emma Gurley singled up the middle scoring two runs.
Those two runs would prove to be the game-winners as the Quakers finished just 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Carter dipped to 3-6 on the season, allowing four earned runs on nine hits with five strikeouts. The Clinton-Massie alumna proved Wilmington its three runs offensively with the home run.
Katie DeBord earned the complete-game win for JCU allowing three earned runs on six hits while also striking out five. Lichota and Gurley had the RBIs for the Blue Streaks while Gracie Bressoud, from the top of the lineup, joined the two in having a multi-hit game.
In game two, Wilmington loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first inning and got on the scoreboard on a Lizz Hadley sacrifice fly scoring Crager, but a groundout that followed prevented a potentially larger inning. JCU tied the game on a solo home run in the bottom of the first and took the lead on a wild pitch in the bottom of the second. After a 1-2-3 top of the third, the Blue Streaks took a 4-1 lead by plating two runs on the hits in the third.
Just like in game one, all of the game's runs were scored in the first three innings.
Alexis Stringfellow took the loss allowing a dozen hits with two strikeouts in six innings. Her counterpart, Danielle Orendi, surrendered four hits with five strikeouts to earn the complete-game win.
Layne, Alecia Kemp, McKenna Archey and Andrea Edmisten all had singles for the Quakers while Bressoud once again tallied a three-hit game for the Blue Streaks. For the second consecutive game, Gurley had one hit and drove in two runs for JCU.
Wilmington (15-15, 14-12 OAC) will host JCU for a twinbill at the WC Softball Complex tomorrow (Sunday). First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
