Hot Start Continues | Oilers Sweep Greyhounds on Sunday
*Box scores subject to changes as scorebooks are sorted out*
Clermont, Fla. - The University of Findlay softball team kept their hot start to the 2023 campaign going as they picked up another sweep on their second day in Florida. The Oilers won their opener on Sunday, Feb. 26 against the Assumption Greyhounds by a score of 4-1 and followed that up with a decisive 7-2 victory. With those two wins, Findlay improves to 7-2 on the year.
The first game was deadlocked at 0-0 through three full innings before senior Olivia Carlton went deep for the third consecutive game, a two-run blast that gave the Oilers a 2-0 lead.
A run in the fifth by Assumption made it 2-1, but a sac fly by senior Caroline Turner and single by junior Avery Shepherd in the seventh inning put Findlay in control at 4-1. The Greyhounds were set down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.
Freshman Kora Navarro got the win by tossing a complete game and allowing just one run, none earned, on four hits and three walks. She struck out five.
In the second game of the twin bill, Findlay dominated to the tune of a 7-2 drubbing of the Greyhounds, and much of the damage was done in the early innings.
The Oilers scored three in the first thanks to a leadoff triple by Shepherd who came in to score on a double by freshman Alexys Antal. After a walk and fielder's choice, a sac fly by Emma Bode made it 2-0. The third run came when Carlton scored on a passed ball.
In the bottom of the second, sophomore Rachel Mease doubled with one out and scored on a double by the red-hot Avery Shepherd. Shepherd then came around to score on a two-out double by freshman Annika Bredel to make it 5-0 through two.
Two more runs in the sixth made it 7-0 and the Oilers cruised to a five-run victory to pick up the sweep.
Antal got the start in the circle and improved to 2-0 with a four-inning performance in which she allowed just one run on three hits.
On the day, Findlay's offense was powered by leadoff hitter Avery Shepherd who picked up four hits including a double and a triple. She scored two runs and had a pair of RBI in the double header.
Bailey Bates had two hits and two runs scored, as well.
Findlay's pitching was stellar on Sunday, holding the Greyhounds to a .180 batting average, giving up just nine hits in the two games.
The Oilers have Monday off before playing again on Tuesday, Feb. 28 against the University of Bridgeport and Gannon University.