Season Review: Softball posts 12th consecutive upper division finish under first year head coach Jackie Mangola
By Caleb Scott
ADA — For the 12th season in a row, the Ohio Northern softball team posted an upper division finish, finishing fifth in the Ohio Athletic Conference standings under first year head coach Jackie Mangola.
The Polar Bears finished 25-13 overall and finished fifth in the OAC standings after posting a 9-9 record in conference play.
Northern saw two athletes earn All-OAC honors.
Senior Kirsten Lightel (Tallmadge) led the list as she earned her third All-OAC accolade in as many years, and was named First Team All-OAC for the second time in her career.
The junior led the OAC in three major pitching categories during the regular season, as she posted a 1.01 ERA, 14 victories in the pitchers circle and led the conference with 128 K's.
Lightel is Northern's all-time career strikeout leader (370), career ERA leader (1.51) and ranks second all-time at ONU with 46 career victories as a pitcher.
The junior was named Third Team All-Central Region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association for her efforts on in the pitchers circle in 2017.
Sophomore slugger Hailee Loughman (Brookville) earned her first career All-OAC honor as she was named Honorable Mention All-OAC.
The sophomore led the team and ranked fifth in the OAC with 32 RBI during the regular season and also led the team and ranked fifth in the OAC with five home runs.
Junior Jenna Hollar (Lima/Bath) led the team offensively in 2017 as she had team-highs in hits (44), batting average (.370) and stolen bases (25).
The junior was tied for second in the OAC in stolen bases.
Hollar now ranks second all-time at ONU with 83 stolen bases, while junior Anna Martin (Huntsburg/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin) ranked second on the team with nine stolen bases and currently ranks third all-time at Northern with 58 stolen bases in her career.
Freshman Gabby Stewart (Union, Ky./St. Henry) ranked second on the team with 43 hits, four home runs, 29 RBI and ranked third in the team with a .350 batting average.
Loughman led the team with 32 RBI and ranked second on the team with a .355 batting average.
The pitching staff of Lightel and sophomore Kaitlin Surdej (Lancaster/Central) proved to be Northern's strong point during the season.
Surdej posted 11 victories, ranked third in the OAC with a 1.90 ERA and ranked fifth in the conference with 99 strikeouts.
The sophomore's 170 career strikeouts currently ranks eighth all-time at Ohio Northern.
As a team, Northern allowed the least hits (238) and runs (95) in the OAC, while striking out a conference-best 227 batters.
ONU also led the OAC with a 1.44 ERA.
The Polar Bears saw five members named to the Academic All-OAC team in 2017 as juniors Leanna Henry (West Jefferson), Miranda Huddle (Versailles), Gia Saturday (Ashtabula/Edgewood), and sophomores Laura Houtz Burden (Pleasant Hill/Newton) and Loughman all earned the honors.
Northern opened the 2017 campaign going 11-1 during its annual Spring Break trip to Florida.
After returning home, Northern went 4-2 before splitting a twinbill with No. 4-ranked Trine (Ind.) and handing the Thunder its first defeat of the season.
Northern would close the season out, posting a 9-9 record in the month of April.