Findlay Sweeps Ohio Valley
Vienna, WV – The University of Findlay softball team hit the road to take on Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) opponent Ohio Valley University on Friday, April 23 in Vienna, West Virginia. The Oilers have now won eight of their previous ten games after a sweep of the Fighting Scots, winning the opener by a score of 17-0 in five innings and took the nightcap by a score of 11-3 in six innings. With the two wins, Findlay improves to 20-15 overall with a 11-7 mark in G-MAC play while OVU remains winless at 0-18 on the year and 0-14 in conference play.
Findlay went hitless in the top of the first inning, but starting pitcher, senior Megan Fisher, struck out all three batters in the bottom to keep the game tied.
Senior Dylan Wiley started the second with a double to left and was followed by an RBI double off the bat of senior Devyn Zuro. Junior Lexi Hilling was the next batter and blasted her second home run of the season to give Findlay a 3-0 lead. Later in the inning, freshman Avery Shepherd doubled and junior Caroline Turner walked to put two runners on base. After a wild pitch, Megan Fisher ripped a single through the left side to plate Shepherd and push the lead to 4-0.
After a scoreless third, the Oilers hit their stride again in the fourth. Senior Gloria Corona singled and stole second. After a pair of outs, Megan Fisher went deep for a two-run blast that made the score 6-0. Two batters later, following a walk to junior Lyndsey Seamon, Dylan Wiley also went deep, her first career home run, to put the Oilers up by eight.
A quick bottom of the fourth put Findlay back on offense in the fifth. Hilling led off the inning with her second home run of the game. That shot began an eight hit, nine run inning that had RBI hits from sophomore Tori Budzinski, sophomore Bailey Bates, Devyn Zuro, sophomore Makayla Cowan, and freshman Emily Ickes. Those nine runs put the Oilers ahead 17-0 and, after a hitless bottom of the fifth, the game was called due to run rule.
Hilling was the big bat in Game 1 as she had two hits, both home runs, two runs scored, and three RBI. Devyn Zuro also got her bat back on track as she went three-for-four at the dish with a pair of doubles. Zuro scored two runs and had two RBI.
Megan Fisher, who got the win in the circle, went two-for-three with a home run, run scored, and three RBI. As a pitcher, Fisher tossed just three innings and allowed two hits. She walked one and struck out seven of the 13 batters she faced.
Dyaln Wiley had a pair of hits that included a home run and a double, two runs scored, and two RBI while Emily Ickes had two hits, a run scored, and an RBI.
In the second game, the Oilers wasted no time taking control as they put up eight runs in the top of the first innings. Findlay's first two batters reach and a double by Lyndsey Seamon sent both home to give the Oilers a 2-0 lead. A single by Lexi Hilling sent Seamon and four bases loaded walks and a single by Jalin Marston made the Findlay lead 8-0 through one inning.
The Oilers final runs came in the fifth when Kyla Snow doubled home two runs and Hilling singled home one run to make the score 11-3, enough to end the game in five innings.
Hilling got the win in the circle in relief as she tossed two innings and had a strikeout. The starter was Caragyn Yanek who went two innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on two hits. She struck out three.
Kyla Snow had a hit and three RBI in the game while Hilling went three-for-four with a run scored and two RBI. Seamon finished with one hit, two walks, and three RBI.
The Oilers are back in action on Monday, April 26 when they host Ursuline College for a double header.