NO. 19 TIGERS EARN THREE WINS IN DAY FOUR OF THE TIG SPRING GAMES

TUCSON, Ariz.  – The No. 19 Olivet Nazarene University softball team played in day four of the TIG Spring Games on Thursday.  The Tigers started the day with the Statesmen of William Penn, followed by playing Dakota Wesleyan and concluding the day with a game against Valley City State. 

Game One: No. 19 ONU 5, WPU 3

The Tigers went with Olivia Flinn to start the game as she worked four innings and surrendered three runs, on five hits, and struck out four.  Emily Blucker then entered the game and got the final nine outs of the game and earned the save.

The Tigers did not waste much time to crack the scoring column as they struck for three runs in the first inning.  Margaret Landis and Zoe Oshiro led off the inning reaching base on a walk and a base hit.  Margaret Landis then scored the game's first run when Haley Dobson reached on an error.  Megan Mann and Alli Timm then cashed in back-to-back RBI singles and made the score, 3-0.  The Statemen cut the deficit to 3-1 in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI single. 

The Tigers get that run back in the third inning when Mann scored on an error by the William Penn left fielder.  The score was 4-1.  The Tigers extended their lead to 5-1 in the fourth inning when Dobson hit a sacrifice fly to plate Margaret Landis.  William Penn tried to cut into their deficit in the bottom of the fourth.  The Statesmen made the score, 5-3, on a two-run double. 

Blucker held William Penn scoreless in the final three innings of the game as the Tigers bounced back from losing both games yesterday to win, 5-3.

Game two: No. 19 ONU 4, DWU 2

The second game of the day featured the battle of the Tigers with ONU getting the last laugh.  Like game one, Flinn started the game and was excellent as she worked 5.2 innings and gave up only two runs.  Blucker came in with two outs in the sixth inning and notched another save. 

The two teams found themselves in a scoreless tie until ONU struck for a run in the top of the third.  Matti Lanie and Margaret Landis started off the inning with back-to-back bunt singles.  After Oshiro grounded out, both runners moved up 60 feet for Dobson.  Dobson then broke through with an RBI single making the score, 1-0. ONU extended its lead in the fifth inning when Mann doubled home Dobson.  A few batters later, Mann crossed home plate when Kate Landis reached on an error to extend the lead to 3-0.  Dakota Wesleyan then cut the Olivet Nazarene lead to one in the bottom of the sixth.  DWU notched a pair of runs on a two-run double to cut the ONU lead to 3-2.  

Olivet Nazarene then marked a key insurance run in the top of the seventh on an RBI single by pinch-hitter Faith Mikos.  Blucker then shut the door with a pair of strike outs in the bottom of the seventh as ONU won the second game of the day, 4-2. 

Game Three:  No. 19 ONU 11, VCSU 1 F/5

Coach Hannah Gardner handed the ball to Kori Fricke for the final game of the day against Valley City State. Fricke worked all five innings and surrendered one run on four hits, and fanned four batters. 

After a scoreless first inning, the Tigers put up a crooked number in the second inning.  With the bases loaded, Kailyn Ngo, Isabella Landeros, and Lanie all hit back-to-back-to-back RBI singles and the score was 3-0.  Later in the inning, the Tigers extended their lead.  After Margaret Landis reached on an error to load the bases, Oshiro drove in Landeros on an RBI groundout and Dobson platted a pair of runners on a two-run single.  The Tiger took a commanding 6-0 lead.  The Vikings scored their run in the top of the third on passed ball.  The Tigers still led 6-1. 

The Tigers marked more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.  With one out, Timm drove in Dobson on an RBI double making the score, 7-1.  Then, during Ngo's at-bat, the Tigers saw two players score on a passed ball and grew their lead to 9-1.  The Tigers marked two more runs in the inning when Kate Landis scored on an error and Lanie knocked in Ngo on a base hit.  The Tigers ballooned their lead to 11-1. 

The Vikings were unable to score in the top of the fifth as the Tigers swept the day winning in this one, 11-1.    

WHAT'S NEXT?

The No. 19 Tigers conclude play at the TIG Spring Games as they play Northwestern College at 3:30 and Concordia (Neb.) at 5:45 p.m. All times listed are in Central. 

--ONU—

*Contact: Sam Viebrock, Sports Information Director, stviebrock@olivet.edu