Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 John Carroll softball lost a pair of one run games Wednesday that could have very easily been one run wins. Missed opportunities by the host Blue Streaks and cashed in opportunities by visiting Wilmington College proved to be the difference.

As it stands, JCU will have to deal with the fallout of a pair of setbacks (1-0 and 7-6) to Wilmington in what was the 2014 home opener for the Blue Streaks.

The outcome of the opener essentially hinged on defensive miscues by John Carroll that led to the lone run being scored. Wilmington pushed the winning run across the plate in the top of the third inning without a hit as two walks and two errors produced the opportunity for Megan Warren to cross home plate.

In the bottom of the third, Ashlee Unrue was thrown out at home as the potential game-tying run.

JCU would outhit the Quakers 5-2, but Wilmington had zero errors and drew five walks while John Carroll had three errors and had just one batter reach bases on balls.

Rachel Byrnes struck out five and surrendered just two hits and one unearned run in taking the loss.

John Carroll needed just one swing of the bat in game two to get on the scoreboard. Samantha Becker hit the first pitch she saw in the bottom of the first inning as the leadoff hitter and parked it over the centerfield fence.

JCU led 1-0 after one inning and 2-1 after two, but Wilmington scored four runs in the third to take a 5-2 lead.

The Blue Streaks had the first three batters reach safely, and pushed across a run in the bottom of the third to cut the deficit down to 5-3. With runners on second and third and no outs. Alyssa Coleman hit a fly ball to medium deep center that appeared to have plated a run. But an appeal was made and the umpire called the runner from third out for leaving early. The threat ended, and JCU still trailed by two runs.

The Quakers extended their lead to 7-3 before John Carroll mounted a seventh inning charge. Morgan Robinson hit a two-out, three-run home run that brought the Blue Streaks to within a single run at 7-6. But that would be as close as John Carroll would get.

The losses leave John Carroll at 8-10 overall and 2-4 in league play. Wilmington is now 11-12 overall and 2-4 in the OAC.

This was Wilmington's first sweep of John Carroll in series history, and is JCU's first sweep at home since Denison took two from the Blue Streaks on March 27, 2012.

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