CLERMONT, Fla. – The Ohio Wesleyan University softball team played their penultimate doubleheader in Florida on Friday, matching up with Washington (Md.) and Saint Joseph's (Maine). Game one was a low-scoring affair that did not go the Bishop's way with a 3-2 result to Washington. Game two was quite the opposite, ending 7-5 in favor of the Red and Black.
GAME ONE: OHIO WESLEYAN 2, WASHINGTON 3
Runs were at a premium in game one, all coming within the first four innings. The two sides alternated scoring innings with Washington getting on top first with one run in the bottom of the opener. Ohio Wesleyan soon tied it up with a run in the second, making it 1-1 after two.
Jessie Spurling started it off with a single to center before Natale Russell moved her over to second.
Lexi Stratton came in to pinch run, getting to third on a single by
Liv Yeary. She finally came in to score on a sacrifice fly by
Kennedy Dean, but that was all for the Bishops despite having multiple runners on as the third out was made on the play at third base.
Washington then tallied two in the bottom of the third to reclaim the lead at 3-1. OWU would get one back in the top of the fourth after Ryla Zhering reached on a single to shortstop.
Sylvie Devore came in to pinch run and worked her way to third on a wild pitch and a groundout. Yeary drove her in on a single to right. Unfortunately, Ohio Wesleyan was shut out in the remaining innings, ending behind 4-3.
Makenna Knisley (1-2) made the start and pitched 2.2 innings allowing three runs on five hits and one walk.
Olivia Basil kept it close in the final 3.1 innings, holding Washington to just one hit and striking out four.
Yeary and Spurling both went 2-for-3. Yeary also recorded an RBI.
Dean drove in the other run.
Devore and Stratton scored the two runs as pinch runners.
GAME TWO: OHIO WESLEYAN 7, SAINT JOSEPH'S 5
The Battling Bishops bounced back in game two to put up seven runs in a high-scoring 7-5 game. Saint Joseph started on top with two runs in the top of the first but this was erased by two runs for the Red and Black in the bottom of the second.
Jessie Spurling led off the second inning with a walk, soon getting to third on a single by
Viera Barrett that resulted in an error.
Liv Yeary drove Spurling in on a single for OWU's first run.
Caity Journey followed with a single to score
Lexi Stratton – who was pinch running for Barrett – and tie it up at 2-2.
Ohio Wesleyan nabbed another in the bottom of the fourth with their first home run of the season off the bat of Barrett. The 3-2 lead was short-lived with Saint Joseph's scoring three in the following half-inning to reclaim a 5-3 advantage. The Red and Black responded bigtime with one of their best innings of the trip, putting up four in the fifth to ultimately take a 7-5 victory.
Rylee Myers started it off with a single to third.
Rylea Gist followed suit with a double to right field.
Ryla Zehring kept it going with another double to center, scoring both Myers and Gist.
Sylvie Devore came in to pinch run for Zehring and advanced to third on a groundout before scoring on a Yeary single to left. Barrett tallied the seventh and final run for the Bishops, scoring on an error after walking and making her way around the bases.
Spurling got the start and the win, her first of the year. She was 1-for-3 at the plate with a run scored.
Zehring offered relief on the mound and went 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs.
Myers and Gist were both 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Barrett turned in a perfect 2-for-2 day with her first career homer and a single, scoring twice. She also reached a third time with a walk.
Devore and Stratton both scored runs as pinch runners.
UP NEXT
The Bishops wrap up their Florida trip tomorrow with games against Carroll and Rowan in Winter Haven at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
