Softball opens home schedule with 4-0, 2-1 sweep of Hanover (Ind.)

By Tim Glon

ADA — The Ohio Northern softball team opened the home portion of its schedule with a 4-0, 2-1 sweep of Hanover (Ind.) on Monday afternoon at the ONU Softball Field.

The Polar Bears improve to 13-3 overall, while the Panthers fall to 10-8.

Junior Kaitlin Surdej (Lancaster/Central) threw a 4-hit shutout for ONU in Game 1 and sophomore Brady Guest (Convoy/Crestview) drilled a 2-run home run to lead Ohio Northern in Game 2.

In the opener, Surdej struck out five to earn the complete game victory and improve to 6-2 on the season.

The Polar Bears scored all the runs Surdej would need in the bottom of the first, plating three with the benefit of only one base hit.

Senior Jenna Hollar (Lima/Bath) led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch and promptly stole second, the first of seven stolen bases by ONU in the game.

Senior Miranda Huddle (Versailles) sacrificed Hollar to third and Alicia Swierz (Deerfield/Southeast) walked.

Junior Hailee Laughman (Brookville) scored Hollar with a ground ball to shortstop and reached when the first baseman muffed the throw, sending Swierz to third.

Laughman then stole second and Swierz scored by stealing home on the back end of a double steal and it was 2-0.

Guest then followed with an RBI single to score Laughman and it was 3-0 Polar Bears.

Northern added an insurance run in the fourth when Huddle was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring sophomore Jordan Cloonan (Kirtland/Cornerstone Christian).

In game two, Northern trailed 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth when Guest blasted a 2-run home run to straightaway center field to give ONU a 2-1 lead.

Senior Kirsten Lightel (Tallmadge) made the lead stand up, allowing just five hits and striking out nine to improve to 7-1 in the circle.

After allowing a run in the top of the third, Lightel settled down, striking out the side in the fourth and fifth innings.

She struck out the side in the fourth on just nine pitches. At one point during the streak she had struck out five consecutive batters on just 15 pitches and had an 0-2 count on the sixth batter before striking her out on six pitches.

Hollar led the ONU offense, going 4-for-6 with a run scored and two stolen bases

The Polar Bears are slated to return to action on Wednesday with a double header at Wooster on Wednesday, weather permitting.