WILMINGTON, Ohio - The Wilmington College softball team split an Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) doubleheader with Otterbein University on Wednesday, snapping a five-game conference losing streak and an eight-game skid with the game two victory. The Cardinals won game one 8-1 while the Fightin' Quakers took game two 4-3.
In game one, Otterbein's offense got hot early as the Cardinals batted around in both the first and second innings scoring four runs in each to take a commanding 8-0 lead. Wilmington would be kept off balance by reigning OAC Pitcher of the Year, Gabby Johnson, as the Quakers would score just a single run on a wild pitch in the fourth.
Johnson earned the win allowing just one hit and one earned run to go along with five strikeouts and four walks. Grace Shell dipped to 7-4 allowing eight earned runs in 1.2 innings pitched. Hunter Salyers finished the game for Wilmington scattering six hits in the final 5.1 innings.
Offensively, Megan Crager, Jillia Cook and Mariah Huff tallied hits for Wilmington. Four Cardinals – Maria Herron, Alyson Shaw, Sage Jenkins and Courtney Hackney – all finished with two hits.
The script flipped in game two as it was Wilmington's turn to score first as the Quakers used a Cardinal error to score three unearned runs on RBI-hits from Cook and Micalah Hensley as well as a wild pitch. An inning later, Alecia Kemp singled home Kennedy Clifton for a 4-0 lead after two complete. Otterbein would get a single run in the third and fourth, but starter Alexis Stringfellow preserved the 4-2 lead in the sixth as she caught a popout with runners on second and third.
Maria Herron led off the top of the seventh with a home run to left field, but Otterbein wouldn't get the tying run into scoring position as a foul out, strikeout and fly out ended the game.
Stringfellow improved to 6-2 with the complete-game victory scattering 10 hits and three earned runs. Anna Edwards took the loss for Otterbein allowing one earned run on six hits with five walks in six innings.
Cook finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for Wilmington while Otterbein's top three individuals in its lineup had multi-hit games.
Wilmington (15-9, 3-7 OAC) hosts Marietta College for two games on Saturday. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
