Paige Ordean fires perfect game; Softball picks up wins over Regis (Mass.) and St. Mary's (Minn.)

By: Andrew Korba

CLERMONT (Fla.) -- In just her third career start, freshman Paige Ordean threw a perfect game as the Ohio Northern softball team picked up wins over Regis (Mass.) and St. Thomas (Minn.) on Tuesday.

The Polar Bears are now 4-2 on the season.

Ordean struck out five on Northern's 10-0 victory over Regis (0-4), retiring all 15 batters she faced in ONU's 5-inning win.

The Polar Bears topped St. Thomas 10-7.

Against Regis, Northern struck in the first inning on a RBI double by junior Adriana Sikora that scored junior Kelly Sheridan.

In the third, Sikora laced a single and moved to third on a throwing error. Senior Carly McKenzie and Sheridan came around to score on the play.

Sikora would score later in the inning on a passed ball.

ONU blew the game open in the fourth, plating six runs.

Senior Christin Miller reached on an error to lead off the inning and stole second.

McKenzie then reached on an error, moving Miller to third.

Sheridan followed with a bunt single that scored Miller and sophomore Anne Dreher laced a single that scored McKenzie to make it 5-0 in favor of the Polar Bears.

Sikora then came up and singled and an error by the centerfielder allowed freshman Megan Hupp and Sheridan to score.

Junior Jamie Westenkirchner followed with a single that scored Sikora and moved freshman pinch runner Courtney Hendershot to third, making it 9-0 in favor of Northern.

Hendershot scored the final run of the frame on a sac fly by senior Colleen Baliga.

Ordean then closed the door, striking out the final batter for the perfect game.

Against St. Thomas (2-6), McKenzie and Miller each colleted three hits.

The Polar Bears got on the board in the second on a solo homer from Sikora and added a run in the third on a RBI triple from Dreher.

St. Thomas responded with five in the third inning, but the Polar Bears scored four times each in the fourth and fifth innings.

With two runners on in the fourth, McKenzie reached on an error that scored senior Bree Hiteshew.

An illegal pitch scored sophomore Lindsay Simmons, cutting the ONU deficit to 5-4.

Sheridan followed with a double to drive in another run and would come around to score on another illegal pitch.

In the fifth, Westenkirchner singled to score Sikora and make it 7-5 in favor of ONU.

A few batter later, McKenzie hit a bases load double, driving in all three runs to make it 10-5.

St. Thomas threatened in the seventh, but freshman Kristen Burden (1-1) got the final two outs with the tying run at the plate.

Ohio Northern will return to action on Wednesday with games against DeSales (Pa.) at 9 am and Thiel (Pa.) at 11 am.