TIGERS WIN BOTH SIDES OF THE TWIN BILL AGAINST IU-SOUTH BEND ON TUESDAY

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – The Olivet Nazarene University softball team hosted the IU-South Bend Titans for a Tuesday afternoon doubleheader at Tiger Field.  The Tigers won both sides of the twin-bill winning game one, 7-3, and defeating the Titans, 9-2, in the night cap. 

Game One: ONU 7, IUSB 3

The Tigers sent out Kori Fricke to start game one.  The Manteno, Ill. native went the distance and surrendered three runs on two hits.  Fricke induced soft contact throughout including forcing six ground ball outs in the first three innings of play.  Fricke earned her team-leading eighth victory of the year. 

The two teams played to a pitcher's duel until the Tigers struck for runs in the fourth inning.  Fricke led off the inning with a solo homer to straight-away centerfield.  After a triple by Faith Mikos, Kailyn Ngo dropped down a sacrifice bunt and platted Mikos.  After a fly out, Matti Lanie and Zoe Oshiro hit back-to-back doubles.  Then, later in the inning, Megan Mann drove in the fourth run of the inning for the Tigers on an RBI single.  ONU led 4-0.  IUSB opened their scoring at the top of the fifth with an RBI single.  The Tigers then got that run back in the bottom of the inning when Margaret Landis doubled home Fricke.  The Tigers led, 5-1. 

The Tigers added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double by Haley Dobson and another RBI single by Mann.  ONU grew its lead to 7-1.  The Titans added two more runs in the seventh but that proved to be too little too late as the Tigers handed the Titans a 7-3 loss in game one. 

Game Two: ONU 9, IUSB 2

Olivia Flinn made the start in the circle for the Tigers in game two.  The Tiger right-hander went the distance and allowed eight hits, on two runs, and struck out a career-high 10 batters.  Flinn fanned five batters in the first two innings of work. 

The two teams were deadlocked at zeros until the Titans took their first lead of the day in the top of the third on an RBI single.  The Tigers, quickly, took the lead in the third.  With two on and one out, Dobson dropped in a two-run double to make the score, 2-1.  Then, the Tigers added a run when Kate Landis reached on an error moving the score to 3-1.  The Tigers then grew their lead in the fourth on a pair of run-scoring singles making the score, 6-1.  Oshiro and Mann connected on those run-scoring singles. After the Titans marked another run in the top of the fifth, the Tigers tacked on three more runs in the bottom half of the frame and made the score, 9-2. 

Flinn held the Titans at bay in the final two innings of play as the Tigers swept the doubleheader as they took game two, 9-2. 

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Tigers travel to Whiting, Ind. as they play the Crimson Wave of Calumet College of St. Joe on Friday, April 15th.  The doubleheader is set to start at 3 p.m.

--ONU—

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