Bican, Lenser toss shutouts as Softball sweeps Capital 2-0, 9-0

By Tim Glon

ADA — Junior Allie Bican (Solon) and freshman Ashley Lenser (Brookville) each threw shutouts to lead the Ohio Northern softball team to a 2-0, 9-0 sweep at Capital on Saturday afternoon at Clowson Field.

The Polar Bears (14-8 overall) remain in first place in the loss column in the Ohio Athletic Conference with a 10-2 league record.

ONU is percentage points ahead of Muskingum (.833-.813), but trails by one game in the standings as MU has a 13-3 conference record.

The Comets fall to 3-25, 1-15.

Lenser (7-2) scattered five hits over nine innings while striking out eight on just 86 pitches as Ohio Northern won the opener in an extra inning thriller.

With the score tied in the top of the ninth, freshman Katelyn Aldred (Williamsfield, Ill.) had a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to score freshman pinch-runner Mariana Alejandro (Gibsonburg) and give ONU a 1-0 lead.

Junior Sydney Motylinski (Ida, Mich.) followed with a RBI ground out to score junior pinch-runner Annika Murray (Hilliard/Bradley) to make it 2-0.

Senior Hannah Rubel (Swanton/Notre Dame) went 2-for-4 in the game to lead the Ohio Northern offense.

In the night cap, Northern exploded for a 6-run third inning and cruised to the win as the game was called after six innings due to the NCAAs 8-run rule.

Bican threw a 2-hit shutout on an efficient 82 pitches and struck out five to improve to 3-1 on the year.

Sophomore Kaylie Griffin (Grafton/Elyria Catholic) was 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI and Motylinski was 2-for-4 with a double, triple and two RBI to lead ONU in game two.

The Polar Bears return to action on Sunday with another key OAC double header when Baldwin Wallace comes to the ONU Softball Field.