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Box Score 2 ASHLAND, Ohio – The Ashland University softball team suffered a pair of close losses on Thursday (April 5) against visiting Ohio Dominican University at Brookside Park. The Eagles lost the opener, 4-2, before dropping Game 2, 4-3, in eight innings.
The Eagles left 18 runners on base between the two games, going 4-for-22 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-5 with a runner on third and less than two outs.
In Game 1, Ohio Dominican (16-18, 10-4 GLIAC) opened the scoring in the first inning on a Caitlin Chaney solo home run to straightaway center field.
The Eagles (28-8, 12-4 GLIAC) got on the board with a run in the second inning. Junior Tawna Garver (Mansfield, Ohio/Hillsdale) drew a leadoff walk and freshman Jamie Weber (Orient, Ohio/Teays Valley) pinch ran for her. Weber moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a passed ball to tie the game.
The Panthers opened up the game in the fourth inning with three runs off AU starter Emlyn Knerem (Brunswick, Ohio).
Freshman Taylor Menhart (Twinsburg, Ohio) cut the ODU lead to 4-2 with a line drive home run down the right-field line in the fifth inning.
With the help of a single and two errors by the Panthers, the Eagles put runners on the corners with no outs in the bottom of the seventh, but ODU reliever Rachael Stanzel got a strikeout, fly out and groundout to end the game.
Menhart was the only Eagle with two hits in the game. Garver and sophomore Carly West (Ashland, Ohio/Hillsdale) also reached base twice in the game.
Ohio Dominican starter Kacey Locker earned the win, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits in five innings. She struck out one and walked three. Stanzel picked up her second save of the season.
Knerem (19-1) took her first loss of the season, allowing a season-high four earned runs on eight hits. She struck out three and did not walk a batter.
The Eagles started Game 2 with a run in the top of the first inning as senior Alyssa Kelley (Mentor, Ohio) reached on an error and scored on a double by junior Franki Gironda (Akron, Ohio/Hoban).
The Panthers battled back to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning with a pair of runs on a double by Caitlin Jividen off AU starter Amber McDermott (Creston, Ohio/Norwayne).
AU tied the game in the fourth on an RBI single down the right-field line by senior Bri Woody (Cleveland, Ohio/Magnificat). Freshman Alexis Lee (Medina, Ohio) scored on the play – she was running for Gironda, who singled to start the inning.
Alex Cribari's RBI single in the bottom of the sixth gave ODU a 3-2 lead.
The Eagles countered in the seventh inning as sophomore Cayla Seidler (Massillon, Ohio/Washington) doubled on a ball smoked down the left-field line. She scored on Kelley's single up the middle to tie the game at 3-3.
The game went into extra innings and the Panthers struck in the bottom of the eighth. Kylee Crislip drew a leadoff walk. A single and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with one out and Taylor Thomas delivered a single through the left side for the winning run.
McDermott (8-3) took the loss for the Eagles, allowing four runs on eight hits. She walked four and struck out two. Stanzel (10-8) earned the win, allowing three runs (two earned) on 10 hits in the complete game. She walked three and struck out two.
Seidler finished with three hits for the Eagles and Gironda and Woody had two apiece. Jividen was 3-for-4 for the Panthers.
The Eagles will look to rebound on Saturday (April 7) when they host the Panthers in a doubleheader. First pitch is set for noon.
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