Softball sweeps John Carroll 1-0, 5-2 and extends winning streak to seven games

By Caleb Scott

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS — The Ohio Northern softball team swept John Carroll 1-0, 5-2 on Friday afternoon to extend its winning streak to seven games at Bracken Field in University Heights.

The Polar Bears improve to 24-4 overall and 10-2 in the Ohio Athletic Conference, 11-12, 6-6.

Sophomores Brady Guest (Convoy/Crestview) and Gabby Stewart (Union, Ky./St. Henry) each had four hits to lead ONU offensively. Guest added five RBI, including a 3-run home run and a run scored, while Stewart had an RBI and a run scored.

The duo of senior Kirsten Lightel (Tallmadge) and junior Kaitlin Surdej (Lancaster/Central) posted victories in the pitchers circle for ONU.

In game one, Guest used a right field single to plate sophomore Alicia Swierz (Deerfield/Southeast) in the top half of the first inning to give ONU all the offense it needed.

From there, shutout defense led by Lightel's complete game with four strikeouts and only three hits put the game away.

John Carroll would get the early lead in game two, tallying two runs in the bottom of the first inning.

A Guest double in the top of the second and a Stewart single in the top of the third inning knotted the game at 2-2.

The Polar Bears broke the tie in the top of the fifth inning, as Guest nailed a 3-run home run over the left field fence to give ONU a 5-2 lead and help seal the victory.

Surdej tossed a complete game, striking out five batters to earn the victory in the circle.

The Polar Bears return to action on Tuesday afternoon as they welcome Otterbein the the ONU Softball Field for a twinbill beginning at 3 p.m.