TIGERS OUTLAST ROOSEVELT IN 14 INNINGS IN CCAC TOURNAMENT OPENING ROUND

CROWN POINT, Ind. – In what proved to be two full games in one, the Olivet Nazarene University softball team outlasted Roosevelt in 14 innings in the opening round matchup of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Tournament Thursday evening at the Crown Point Sportsplex.

The Tigers jumped out to an early lead thanks to doubles off the bats of Zoe Oshiro and Margaret Landis, with the former leading off the first with a two-bagger before the latter brought her home on a double of her own.

ONU went on to add three more in the third off four consecutive singles. Mallory O'Connor shot an RBI single to center field that brought home Carissa Bombardiere and Allie Timm followed her up with a two-RBI single to left to give the Tigers an early 4-0 lead.

Roosevelt, who entered the CCAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed, battled back with a pair of runs in the fourth. Timm pushed the ONU lead back to three with an RBI double in the fifth, but the Lakers (16-21) rattled off three runs in their half of the sixth to tie the score at 5-5.

And that is where the score would deadlock as neither team could break through over the next seven frames, largely in part due to the stellar pitching of Timm. The junior righty, who notched her 100th career strikeout in the game, came in for relief in the sixth inning. She pitched 8.1 innings of scoreless ball, scattering six hits and striking out four with zero walks. 

Timm didn't allow Roosevelt to reach second base until the 14th inning, which she quickly escaped by retiring the next three Lakers in order. This allowed the ONU bats to find their rhythm, with the team finally breaking through in their half of the 14th inning. Bombardiere opened the inning with a leadoff single and was promptly moved over to third on a bunt single from Landis. With the winning run 60 feet from home, O'Connor sent a ball to third base and an errant throw allowed the speedy Bombardiere to wheel home to win the game 6-5.

The victory keeps the Tigers in the winners' bracket of the conference tournament, where they will face No. 2-seeded St. Francis at noon Friday, May 3, in Crown Point, Ind.

--ONU—

*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu