Arnold and Loughman lead Softball in double header split at Mount Union

By Caleb Scott

ADA -- Freshman Sam Arnold (Uhrichsville/Claymont) and sophomore Hailee Loughman (Brookville) led the Ohio Northern softball team as Northern won game one 7-6 and fell in game two 9-5 on Saturday afternoon in Alliance.

The Polar Bears move to 18-8 overall and 4-4 in the Ohio Athletic Conference, while the Purple Raiders move to 10-13, 4-3.

Arnold and Loughman each hit a home run to lead Northern offensively. 

Junior Kirsten Lightel (Tallmadge) earned the victory in game one for Northern as she went 6.1 innings and struck seven batters out to lead Northern in the circle.

Junior Gia Saturday (Ashtabula/Edgewood) was 3-for-5 with an RBI an two runs scored for Northern in the game one victory.

Saturday would help ONU get on the board in the first contest as she hit a bases loaded RBI single to center field and plated freshman Gabby Stewart (Union, Ky./St. Henry) to give ONU a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

MtU would answer in the ensuing inning with a run of their own tie the contest at 1-1 after one inning of play.

The Purple Raiders would take the lead in the bottom of the third inning as they capitalized on another bases loaded situation and took a 3-1 lead after three innings.

ONU would retake the lead in the top of the fourth inning as Saturday scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded to pull ONU within 3-2.

From there, senior Megan Hupp (Delaware/Olentangy) would reach on an error and Arnold would score before a sac fly from Stewart scored junior Anna Martin (Huntsburg/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin) to give Northern a 4-3 lead.

The Purple Raiders would answer in the bottom of the fourth and take a 6-4 heading into the fifth inning.

Arnold would give ONU the lead in the top of the fifth inning as she drilled a 2-run homer and gave Northern a 6-5 lead.

Mount Union was able to tie the contest in the bottom of the sixth at 6-6 heading into the seventh inning.

After a defensive battle ensued, Northern was able to reclaim the lead in the top of the 12th inning as Saturday earned an RBI after being walked and freshman Athena Triglia (Winchester, Calif./Chaparral) scored to help Northern claim game one 7-6.

With Hupp and Hollar on base, Stewart would hit an RBI groundout in the top of the first inning to give ONU an early 1-0 lead.

MtU would use a 3-run inning in the bottom of the first to take a 3-1 lead.

The Purple Raiders would add six runs in the bottom of the second inning to push the lead to 9-1.

Loughman would end the Purple Raider scoring outburst with a solo shot to close the gap to 9-2 in the top of the fourth inning.

After Arnold got on base with a double to right field, Martin would double to right center and narrow the MtU lead to 9-3.

The Polar Bears would pull within 9-4 in the top of the sixth inning as Martin drove freshman Jordan Cloonan (Kirtlan /Cornerstone Christian) home with an RBI single to right field.

The Polar Bears would get one more run in the top of the seventh inning as freshman Alicia Swierz (Deerfield/Southeast) scored on a passed ball to pull Northern within 9-5, but could not get any closer as MtU went on to win.

Northern will return to action Tuesday as they play host to Wilmington at the ONU Softball Field in a twinbill at 3 pm.