ONU STARTS HOME STAND STRONG WITH TWO WINS

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – Olivet Nazarene University's softball team swept Clarke University in a home doubleheader on Tuesday, locking in a pair of strong wins. Behind timely hitting and a steady defensive performance, the Tigers claimed the opener 3-0 and secured a walk-off 5-4 victory in extra innings to cap the day.

ONU's offense came alive in the third inning after a scoreless start. Autumn Adamik tripled to center field to set the table for Zoe Oshiro, who delivered an RBI single up the middle to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Faith Mikos followed with a double to left center, driving in Oshiro to make it 2-0. Gwen Bender added an RBI single in the fourth to extend the lead. Allie Timm was dominant in the circle, tossing a complete-game shutout with 10 strikeouts while allowing just three hits and three walks. The Tigers' defense held strong, with Timm retiring the final six batters to secure the win​.

ONU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, capitalizing on a pair of Clarke errors and an RBI single by Shylar Boze. The Tigers added another run in the second to make it 4-0. Clarke responded with a four-run seventh inning to even the score and force extras. In the bottom of the eighth, Boze was placed on second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Stephanie Hause delivered the clutch walk-off single to left center, sealing the 5-4 victory. Hause finished the game 4-for-4 with two doubles and the game-winning RBI. Timm picked up her second win of the day in relief, holding Clarke to one hit in the final two innings​. 

Looking Ahead

The Tigers will return to action on Mar. 26th with a conference doubleheader at the University of St. Francis, beginning at 3 p.m. CST.

—ONU—

*Contact Anyssa Hampton, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, ahampton@olivet.edu