Ohio Wesleyan 4, Mount St. Joseph 0
Ohio Wesleyan 6, Mount St. Joseph 1

April 17, 2008

Sophomore lefthander Rachel Seibel (Johnstown/Johnstown-Monroe) and senior catcher Miranda Simmons (Norwalk) helped the Ohio Wesleyan softball team open Margaret Sagan Field in spectacular fashion by sweeping Mount St. Joseph in a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday.

Seibel struck out the first 8 Lion batters she faced, breaking the school record of 6 consecutive strikeouts she set earlier this season.

The first Mount St. Joseph batter to put the ball into play was Sara Rutschilling, who hit a soft flare to sophomore shortstop Sarah Cook (Sidney/Fairlawn) to end the third inning.

With 2 down in the bottom of the third, Simmons stepped up to the plate and cracked the first home run at Margaret Sagan Field, a resounding shot over the wall in leftfield.

Sophomore first baseman Catrice Mayweather (Lewis Center/Olentangy) followed with an equally impressive clout over the leftfield fence, only the second time Ohio Wesleyan hitters have belted back-to-back home runs and the first time since Amy Mazur and Sarah Downs accomplished that feat at Alma on March 25, 2006.

Meanwhile, Seibel was mowing down the Mount St. Joseph lineup, retiring the first 17 hitters she faced before Rutschilling beat out a bunt single with 2 out in the top of the sixth to become the only Lion baserunner of the game.

Seibel finished with 13 strikeouts and did not yield a walk.

Katie Lawrence was the starting and losing pitcher for
Mount St. Joseph.

In the nightcap, the Lions took a 1-0 lead in the first as Jessica Meinking led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice and scored on Cook's error on Megan McCullough's infield grounder.

The Bishops answered with 3 runs in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore second baseman Emily Bradley (Columbus/Upper Arlington) was hit by a pitch to open the inning and sophomore outfielder Amanda Sanders (Lima/Bath) walked. After the runners stole third and second respectively, freshman outfielder Tara VanVranken (North Canton/Massillon Jackson) singled to score Bradley. VanVranken headed for second on the throw to the plate, and when Lion catcher Randi Yaeger's throw to second got away from shortstop Kristina Dennett, Sanders scored to put the Bishops ahead, 2-1. One out later, Mayweather singled up the middle to score VanVranken.

Ohio Wesleyan threatened to break the game open in the third, opening the inning with 4 straight hits, but the Lions kept the game close as leftfielder Casey Waldman and centerfielder Ashleigh Stallkamp each threw out Bishop runners at the plate. During the inning, Mayweather scored on a single by Cook to give the Bishops a 4-1 lead, and Ohio Wesleyan finished off the scoring with a 2-run homer by Bradley in the fourth.

Mayweather pitched the complete game for Ohio Wesleyan, striking out 5 and walking none. She aided her own cause by going 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Sophomore outfielder Krystle Skaziak (Dublin/Scioto) also went 3-for-3 for the Bishops.

Katie Cohill was the starting and losing pitcher for Mount St. Joseph.

Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2