Softball regains footing after sweep

Senior Beth Bachman delivered the game winning runs in JCU’s wins against Baldwin-Wallace and Wooster.

The John Carroll softball team bounced back from a pair of losses to Muskingum to sweep Wooster on Monday.

The John Carroll University softball team has recently shown signs of improvement and a preview of what the team is capable of accomplishing this season.

The Blue Streaks have not only shined with their bats, but have had strong pitching as well.

Sophomore Sam Thompson carried a shutout into the seventh inning of the first game in last Wednesday’s double header against Baldwin-Wallace. Through seven innings, she allowed only three hits. The Yellow Jackets were able to rally, but it was too little too late. Carried by junior Jenny Eden’s first career home run, JCU won 7-4.

“I was patient at the plate, and I waited for a pitch I liked,” Eden said.

Another Blue Streak home run would prove to be pivotal in the night cap as senior Bethany Bachman hit a walk off two-run home run to complete the sweep.

JCU had not swept B-W at any time between 1987-2006, but have swept them the past two seasons.

The Blue Streaks carried their momentum into another double header with their neighborhood rival.

JCU rallied from four down to beat Case Western 13-9 in the day game. The Blue Streaks only managed 10 hits on the game but capitalized on four wild pitches and two errors.

Thompson’s complete game, four-hit victory in the night cap  was a  complete victory for JCU as they cruised to a 7-1 victory.

“Our team is starting to click and we are playing well right now,” Eden said. “We started off with a rough start but we are finally starting to show how good we are.”

Unfortunately the girls could not continue their hot streak when they faced Muskingum.

JCU squandered a pair of leads on their way to being swept by the Muskies. A four-run lead in game one and a three-run lead in game two were dropped as JCU lost game one 7-5 and game two 5-3.

In game one, senior Ashley Lippert’s RBI double brought Thompson in to tie the game and force extra innings. However, the defending OAC champions hit a home run in the ninth to take the victory.

Sophomore Laura Boselovic hit a three-run double in the bottom of the first inning to help JCU jump to an early lead.

However, a pair of home runs was all it took for Muskingum to complete the sweep as JCU’s OAC record dropped to 3-3 and 7-13 overall.

The Blue Streaks came back strong against Wooster on Monday  as JCU allowed only one run in the two game set.
Boselovic, Lippert and Thompson all combined to allow only eight hits to Wooster on the day.

Junior Jamie Smrdel led JCU in the first game as she went 3-3 and drove in five RBI as JCU rolled to a 6-0 victory.

In the night cap, JCU scored all three runs in the first inning as Bachman and freshman Deyna Fanelli recorded RBIs.

Lippert and Thompson kept  the Fighting Scots quiet, allowing a combined two hits for the entire game.

JCU traveled to Capital yesterday and will return home on Saturday to face Otterbein.