The third-seeded John Carroll Blue Streaks softball team is on the verge of winning the 2010 Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament. John Carroll snuck past second-seeded Mount Union in their opening game, and then outslugged Muskingum in the second game of the double-elimination event to end up as the only undefeated team after day one. 

The two wins on Friday double the school's all-time win total in the conference tournament. JCU had been just 1-6 in the conference tournament entering Friday. 

Box Scores: Game One (Mount Union) / Game Two (Muskingum)

In game one, the Blue Streaks jumped out of the gates with a three-run top of the first. Two more runs in the top of the fourth would be all sophomore standout Brittany Danilov would need. 

She did allow a run in the fourth that made it 5-1 in favor of the Blue Streaks, and the pesky Purple Raiders tacked on two more in the bottom of the seventh before Danilov gave way to senior Sam Thompson who closed the door. 

Not only did Thompson come to the rescue in the circle in the seventh inning, but she was an offensive sparkplug all afternoon. She was 2-4 with a run and three RBI in game one. 

Game two saw John Carroll jump out to another three-run top of the first inning, only to surrender two runs to Muskinum in the home part of the first inning. JCU tacked on a run in the third, but one run in the second and two more in the third had Muskiungum out in front 5-4. After neither team got anything going in the fourth inning, the Blue Streaks answered in a big way. A huge way. 

Sophomores Erin Riccardi and Olivia Mathews homered to get the rally started and put JCU ahead 6-5. The good times continued as 11 Blue Streaks batted in the seven-run fifth inning. Up 11-4 entering the sixth, JCU tacked on three more insurance runs in the sixth to make it a 14-5 ballgame. 

Muskingum answered with three runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh to make the final score look a little better, but JCU's blow in the fifth inning proved to be a knockout punch. 

Thompson, who pitched three innings of relief starting in the third inning, picked up her 11th win of the season. Although it was her 11th win, it was far and away her most important win. She has her team within one victory of an OAC title. 

Because JCU is the only undefeated team, they would have to be defeated twice on Saturday. One win, however, would be the second loss to any opponent and would gave JCU the title. The Blue Streaks first game is slated for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday in Ada. If necessary, the second game, and ultimately the championship game, would get underway at 3:00 p.m.