TIGERS FEND OFF ELIMINATION AS THEY TOOK DOWN IUSB AND ROOSEVELT IN THE CCAC TOURNAMENT
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Roosevelt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
|
Olivet Nazarene | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 5 | 12 | 0 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
St. Ambrose | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
|
Olivet Nazarene | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Indiana South Bend | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
|
Olivet Nazarene | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 12 | 1 |
CROWN POINT, Ind. – The Olivet Nazarene University softball opened play in the 2022 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Tournament at the Crown Point Sportsplex.
The Tigers started play on Thursday but saw their first game suspended till Sunday as they fell to the Fighting Bees of Saint Ambrose University, 4-2. The Tigers then bounced back and took down IUSB, 10-1 in six innings and defeated Roosevelt, 5-2, to advance to play on Monday morning.
Game One: SAU 4, ONU 2 (Started on Thursday, May 5th and resumed Sunday, May 8th)
The Tigers sent Kori Fricke to the circle in the opening game of the tournament. Fricke went 6.1 innings and surrendered six hits on four runs and struck out a pair. Emily Blucker came into the game with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh and struck out the final two batters.
After a scoreless first inning, the Fighting Bees open the scoring in the top of the second on a pair of RBI singles. Saint Ambrose led 2-0. The Tigers opened their scoring in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs, Kate Landis ripped an RBI single, driving in Zoe Oshiro. The Tigers trailed 2-1. The Fighting Bees then hit a solo homer in the top of the fifth and added another in the sixth on a sacrifice fly making the score, 4-1. The Tigers closed the gap in the bottom of the sixth when Oshiro platted Margaret Landis on a run-scoring single. SAU still led 4-2.
The Tigers stranded 11 runners on base and Saint Ambrose played good defense as they defeated the Tigers, 4-2.
Game Two: ONU 10, IUSB 1 F/6
Head Coach Hannah Gardner sent out Fricke to start the first elimination game. The Tiger right-hander went three innings and surrendered three hits on a run and struck out a pair. Blucker came in and pitched the final three innings and racked up five strikeouts.
The Titans picked up their only run of the game in the top of the third inning on an RBI single. The rest of the scoring was all Tigers. In the bottom of the third inning, The Tigers loaded the bases for Megan Mann, who walked in Matti Lanie to tie the game at one. Margaret Landis then gave the Tigers the lead on an RBI single to make the score, 2-1. In the bottom of the fourth, Margaret Landis extended the Tiger lead when she crossed home plate on a bunt by Lanie.
The Tigers kept pouring the runs on in the bottom of the fifth inning. The first run came when Faith Mikos scored on an error by the shortstop. Then, with one out, Oshiro platted Fricke on an RBI single and Haley Dobson drove in a pair on a two-run single. The Tigers led 7-1. The Tigers were not done yet as they added to their sizable lead in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Margaret Landis ripped a double into left field and scored Mikos. Lanie then sealed the Tiger victory with a two-run single to make the score, 10-1.
The Tigers took advantage of six Titan errors and slugged 12 hits as they defeated the IUSB Titans, 10-1. With this win, the Tigers clinch their 20th straight 30-win season.
Game Three: ONU 5, Roosevelt 2
Fricke, once again, got the nod to pitch in the second elimination game against Roosevelt. Fricke went five innings and surrendered two runs on six hits. Blucker then worked the final two innings and nailed down the save.
The Tigers struck first in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, Mikos, Fricke, and Olivia Flinn all singled to load the bases. Then, the Lakers pitched back-to-back walks and forced in a pair of runs. Oshiro and Dobson both hit back-to-back run-scoring singles and grew the Tiger lead to 5-0. The Lakers notched their runs in the top of the fifth and sixth and still trailed, 5-2.
The Tigers used timely offense and solid pitching down the stretch as they staved off elimination as they defeated the Lakers, 5-2.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Tigers (32-12-1) advance to play on Monday, May 9th against the Wolves of Cardinal Stritch University at 10 a.m. Please visit onutigers.com for more information and the bracket for the CCAC Softball Tournament.
--ONU—
*Contact: Sam Viebrock, Sports Information Director, stviebrock@olivet.edu