Oilers Sweep Yellow Jackets in Thursday Double Header
Cedarville, Ohio – The University of Findlay softball team extended its win streak to nine games on Thursday, April 7, sweeping a double header on the road against the Cedarville Yellow Jackets. The Oilers picked up a 3-1 win in the opener and followed that up with a convincing 10-3 victory in the nightcap. With the two wins, Findlay is now 23-9 overall and holds a 7-1 record in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play, tying them for first in the standings. Cedarville falls to 18-11 overall and 3-5 in G-MAC play with the two losses.
With a long win streak on the line, Findlay was locked in a pitchers' dual early on in the opener. Senior Megan Demler was going toe-to-toe with Cedarville's Ace, Casey Bertke who has won 11 games this season in the circle.
Into the fourth inning, the game was scoreless and Demler had not yet allowed a hit. In the top of the fourth, senior Caroline Turner singled with one out and came around to score on a double to right center by freshman Brooke Radermacher, finally putting a run on the board.
Holding a 1-0 lead into the sixth, Findlay got a leadoff single from Demler who then stole second. After advancing on a ground out, Demler came in to score on a wild pitch, giving the Oilers a 2-0 advantage. Turner then singled and was pinch run for by Rachel Mease. Mease stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. After a strike out, another wild pitch sent Mease scrambling home, putting Findlay ahead 3-0.
A single run in the sixth finally put Cedarville on the board, and in the seventh, the Yellow Jackets loaded the bases with two outs, but left the bases loaded as the game ended with a strikeout.
Findlay finished the game with three runs on six hits and did not commit an error while Cedarville scored one run on three hits and made one error.
Demler got the win to improve to 9-3 on the season. She threw a complete game, allowing just three hits and one run. The Wapakoneta, Ohio native picked up nine strikeouts in the win and is closing in on the Oilers career strikeout record, now just 26 shy of the all-time mark.
Turner was the leader on offense as she went 3-for-3 in the game with a run scored. Radermacher went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
The second contest was very different from the first as the Oilers offense, which continues to be the best in the conference, put five runs on the board in the top of the first inning. Standout Avery Shepherd led the game off with a triple to left, the first of six consecutive extra-base hits to open up the contest. Demler was next, hitting a double down the right field line, scoring Shepherd. Senior Lexie Hilling then doubled to score Demler and Turner, who had three hits in the opener, went deep over the wall in left field, putting the Oilers ahead 4-0, forcing a pitching change for the Yellow Jackets before they had recorded a single out.
Radermacher doubled off the Yellow Jackets' new pitcher and came around to score on a double by Olivia Carlton. Once the dust had settled, Findlay had a 5-0 advantage and six hits before Cedarville had even stepped to the plate.
Single runs in the bottom of the first and the second made the score 5-2, keeping the game interesting through two innings.
In the third, senior Devyn Zuro tripled with one out and game in to score on a ground out by senior Kyla Snow.
The bats then went silent as the Oilers picked up just two hits over the next three innings. In the seventh, however, Findlay poured it one, essentially ending the game by scoring four runs. Megan Demler doubled to start the inning and scored on a fielder's choice. Radermacher doubled to pick up an RBI and was followed by Olivia Carlton who had an RBI on an infield single. The final hit of the inning was another triple by Zuro, sending home the fourth run of the inning and putting the Oilers ahead 10-3, the eventual final.
Demler had three hits including two doubles in the game. She also had an RBI and two runs scored. Turner, who tallied five hits on the day, was 2-for-4 in the nightcap with a run scored and three RBI.
Lexie Hilling improved to 8-5 in the circle this year as she threw a complete game, scattering nine hits and allowing just three runs. She walked three and struck out three.
The Oilers will head further south on Saturday, April 9 to take on Kentucky Wesleyan.