Lenser, Bican pitch Softball to doubleheader sweep of Muskingum

By Wes Mayberry

ADA — Sophomore Ashley Lenser (Brookville) and senior Allie Bican (Solon) pitched the Ohio Northern softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Muskingum on Friday at the ONU Softball Field.

The Polar Bears won 3-2 in Game 1 and added a 4-2 victory in Game 2 to improve to 12-10 overall and 3-3 in the Ohio Athletic Conference while dropping the Muskies to 17-7, 4-2.

Lenser earned the win in Game 1, improving to 7-4 on the season after pitching all seven innings and giving up one earned run on five hits and one walk to go with two strikeouts.

In a complete-game outing in Game 2, Bican allowed one earned run on six hits and two walks while striking out four to improve to 5-6.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning of Game 1, the Polar Bears got an RBI single from sophomore Taylor Hilty (Kettering/Fairmont) that brought Lenser home to tie the score.

Northern proceeded to take a 3-1 edge in the fourth when freshman Allie Wilson (Wapakoneta) hit a two-run homer to right-center field after junior Kaylie Griffin (Grafton/Elyria Catholic) led off with a single.

A pair of ONU errors helped Muskingum score a run in the top of the seventh, but sophomore Mariana Alejandro (Gibsonburg) was able to end the threat when her throw from left field on a two-out single from Kaitlyn Bibb got Mickayla Malone out trying to advance to third base.

Game 2 was another low-scoring affair, and the Polar Bears took an early lead following back-to-back two-out singles from fifth-year senior Abby Elliott (Loveland/Ursuline) and Griffin in the first inning. Elliott finished with a team-best three of the Polar Bears' 10 hits in the game.

Wilson followed with a double that brought both runners home for a 2-0 edge.

The Muskies answered to tie the score in the fourth on an RBI double from Cara Taylor and an RBI single from Taylor Gallentine.

The tie score was short-lived, however, as back-to-back one-out singles from Hilty and senior Annika Murray (Hilliard/Bradley) put runners on the bases for sophomore Callie Rosser (Republic/Monroeville) in the bottom of the fourth. Rosser scored them both on a double to right field to put Northern on top 4-2.

Bican ensured that lead held up, allowing just two hits and one walk over a scoreless final three frames. She capped the game with a 1-2-3 seventh inning with two strikeouts.

The Polar Bears return to action on Tuesday when they a host a non-conference doubleheader against Mt. St. Joseph beginning at 3:30 p.m.