Oilers Go Deep Three Times in Doubleheader Sweep of Walsh
Findlay, Ohio - The University of Findlay softball team hit three home runs in a doubleheader on Friday, April 2 to power past the visiting Walsh Cavaliers in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) action. The Oilers took the opener by a score of 6-1 and then rallied for an eight-run inning in the nightcap to scrape together an 8-4 victory. With the wins, the Oilers improve to 12-11 overall and are back to 3-3 in conference play while Walsh falls to 12-10 overall and 2-4 in the G-MAC.
Game 1 (Box Score)
After back-to-back games without runs earlier this week, the Oilers were out to prove that was a fluke. In the bottom of the first inning, after stranding a pair of Walsh runners in the top half of the inning, the Oilers got a leadoff double by freshman Avery Shepherd and a single by junior Caroline Turner to put runners at the corners. Senior Megan Fisher hit a ball deep to center field for the sac fly to put the Oilers on top 1-0.
The second inning began with a home run over the wall in center field by senior Devyn Zuro, her second big fly of the season. Senior Savannah Harvey then walked and advanced on a sac bunt by junior Gloria Corona. Another double by Shepherd put runners at second and third. Harvey crossed the plate on a groundout by Turner to put the Oilers ahead 3-0.
Walsh scored a run in the third but a sac fly off the bat of freshman Emma Bode kept the three-run margin with the home team ahead 4-1. Bode was not done there.
In the bottom of the sixth inning with two out and a runner on second, Bode crushed a ball over the left-field fence for her first career home run, giving the Oilers some insurance runs and a 6-1 lead.
Walsh did get their first two batters on base in the seventh, but a strikeout, line out, and ground out ended the game in favor of Findlay.
Senior Megan Fisher got the win in the circle as she tossed six innings and allowed just one run on five hits. She walked three and struck out eight to pick up her fourth win of the season.
Game 2 (Box Score)
The second contest brought with it more drama than the first as Findlay needed a late-inning rally to pick up the win.
Walsh scored a single run in the third inning and added three more in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead.
The Oilers left four runners on base through the first four innings, but the Cavaliers looked to be in control. That changed in the fifth.
After a groundout to open the bottom of the fifth, the next seven batters would reach for Findlay, beginning with a walk to Megan Fisher. Shepherd then doubled to center field, her third double of the day, to put runners at second and third. Caroline Turner then singled to plate Fisher and Shepherd and cut the Walsh lead to 4-2. After a walk to Emma Bode, junior Kyla Snow stepped up with two runners on and one out. Snow hit a mile-high fly ball to left field that cleared the fence, a three-run bomb that gave the Oilers a 5-4 lead. It was Snow's first home run as a member of the Oilers. But the inning was not over. Junior Lyndsey Seamon singled and Devyn Zuro and sophomore Olivia Carlton walked. Megan Fisher then hit her fifth double of the season to clear the bases and put Findlay ahead 8-4, capping an eight-run fifth inning.
Walsh was set down 1-2-3 in the sixth and got just a walk in the seventh as starter Caragyn Yanek finished out the complete game to help give the Oilers the come-from-behind victory.
Yanek tossed seven innings to earn her fifth win of the season. She allowed four runs, just one earned, on nine hits while walking just one and striking out nine.
Freshman Avery Shepherd led made the Oilers' offense go on Friday out of the leadoff spot. She finished six-for-eight in the doubleheader with three doubles and three runs scored. Hitting behind her in the two-hole was Caroline Turner who was four-for-eight on the day with a double, a run scored, and three RBI.
Lyndsey Seamon had three hits, including a double, while Megan Fisher had two hits, a walk, and four RBI.
Kyla Snow had a home run, a double, and three RBI while Emma Bode had two hits, including a home run, and also had three RBI.
Devyn Zuro reached base three times as she walked twice and had a solo home run.
Findlay will be back in action on Saturday, April 3 for a doubleheader at Malone University. Those games will begin at noon and will be streaming on the Great Midwest Digital Network.