DELAWARE, Ohio – The Ohio Wesleyan University softball team closed out the 2026 season at home against John Carroll on Sunday afternoon. The Bishops grinded out a 4-3 game one win to give head coach
Cassie Cunningham her 300th career win. Unfortunately the tides turned as the Blue Streaks took game two 12-6.
Ohio Wesleyan ends the season at 8-28 overall with a 3-11 record in the NCAC. John Carroll's season comes to a close at 14-19 and 5-9 in conference play.
GAME ONE: OHIO WESLEYAN 4, JOHN CARROLL 3
Game one was a back-and-forth affair in the early innings, but the Battling Bishops never trailed, starting by taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
Rylee Myers and
Rylea Gist got it going by reaching on a hit-by-pitch and a walk, before successfully executing a double-steal of second and third.
Jessie Spurling drove both in for the game's first runs with a single down the left field line.
John Carroll cut the OWU lead in half with one run in the top of the second, but the Red and Black responded again with two runs in the bottom of the third. Again it was Myers reaching first, this time on a hard-earned walk. She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Gist before getting to third on a single by Spurling.
Kennedy Dean came in to run for Spurling and stole second.
Kelsey Shiley then scored both on a single to left center to make it 4-1.
The Blue Streaks attempted a comeback in the top of the fourth, scoring two before being snuffed out by strikeout looking for
Olivia Basil. Basil then retired nine of the next 10 batters – going three-up three-down in both the sixth and seventh – to slam the door on a 4-3 win.
Basil (W, 4-10) pitched her sixth complete game of the season, striking out a career-high nine batters while allowing just three earned runs on five hits and three walks.
Spurling was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, resulting in two RBIs.
Shiley hit 2-for-2 with two RBIs.
Myers reached thrice on two walks and a hit-by-pitch. After getting on, she stole two bases and scored twice.
Gist walked once and ended up scoring.
Dean scored a run and stole a base.
GAME TWO: OHIO WESLEYAN 6, JOHN CARROLL 12
Game two was a bit of a different story as John Carroll jumped ahead 8-0 with four runs in each the first and second innings. Ohio Wesleyan was hitless until the third inning when they made up for lost time with four hits and three runs.
Shelby Morris recorded the Battling Bishops' first base knock with a single to right center. Morris advanced to second on a wild pitch, then scored on a
Leah Collier pinch-hit double to right field.
Payton Beard returned to her spot in the lineup to run for Collier and advanced to third on a single by
Chameron Vanden Eynden. Vanden Eynden then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by
Rylee Myers.
Jessie Spurling scored both Beard and Vanden Eynden on a single through the left side to make it 8-3.
The score stayed put for the next two innings until JCU added another four runs in the sixth to get into run-rule territory at 12-3. The Bishops did enough in the bottom of the sixth to avoid the early ending, putting up three after being aided by errors.
Caity Journey was the Red and Black's first baserunner of the inning, doubling to left field before being replaced by
Lexi Stratton. Next,
Liv Yeary reached and advanced to second on a dropped fly by the right fielder, putting runners on second and third with one out. Following a strikeout,
Viera Barrett brought home both on a single to center.
Caitlin Aleshire came in to run for Barrett and scored on a combo of errors on the next play, making it 12-6.
Ohio Wesleyan threatened with a pair of hits in the seventh but came up empty, leaving the final scoreline at 12-6.
