Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Even if the odds pointed to the improbable, the John Carroll softball simply concerned itself with what was possible.

In the end, it all worked out incredibly to the Blue Streaks favor.

Needing a sweep and some help from around the league, the Blue Streaks pushed their collective backs off the wall and swept Marietta Saturday at Bracken Field by the scores of 5-4 (in nine innings) and 6-1.

Combined with Mount Union losing two to Wilmington, Heidelberg splitting with Otterbein (losing game one on a freshman's walk off three-run home run), and Baldwin Wallace splitting with Muskingum, John Carroll was able to tie its crosstown rival for fourth place in the final league standings with 10-8 records. Because the two teams split their head-to-head series, the OAC tiebreaker works down the standings for an advantage over an opponent.

It only took getting to the first team, Ohio Northern, for the tie to be broken. JCU swept Ohio Northern while Baldwin Wallace was swept by the Polar Bears.

The tiebreakers only came into a play because John Carroll proved resilient.

Marietta came to Bracken Field with the potential to capture the program's first OAC regular season title. A sweep over John Carroll would guarantee a share of the crown.

Samantha Becker looked to put a dent in thise plans with a solo home run in game one to lead off the bottom of the first inning. It would be a sign of things to come.

That was not readily apparent when the visiting Pioneers struck for three runs in the top of the third and another in the top of the fourth to take a 4-1 lead over the Blue Streaks.

Pioneers starter Alexis O'Hair had still only given up one hit when the fourth inning began. After Nicole Fluharty walked and then Morgan Robinson reached on a fielder's choice that forced Fluharty out at second, up stepped Carly Simecek.

On senior day, the lone freshman starter delivered big time, hammering an O'Hair pitch over the center field fence to bring JCU to within a single run at 4-3.

JCU tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning at 4-4 when Simecek scored from third on an error.

The score would remain knotted despite JCU leaving three runers on base in the fifth, one in the sixth and two in the eighth.

All the while, JCU starter Rachel Byrnes -- who had thrown over 70 pitches in the first four innings and had given up four runs and seven hits in that span -- had gone five scoreless innings since last allowing a run in the fourth and had given up just one hit during that stretch of frames.

Two quick outs started the bottom of the ninth for JCU and it looked like Byrnes would have to go out for the top of the tenth.

This time, it was a senior who came through. Just as she had started things, Becker would end them.

Becker crushed an O'Hair offering to right center field, clearing the fence with ease, to delver a walk off 5-4 win in nine innings for the Blue Streaks.

Hope was alive for JCU, and even more so when news of happenings from around the league began pouring in.

Buoyed by the momentum of game one, JCU rolled to a 6-1 win in game two. JCU scored twice in the third and three more times in the fifth to take a 5-1 lead in support of sophomore Gina Tosti, who was pitching a four-hit gem.

Becker then hammered her third home run of the day, and career hit #197, for added insuarnce and the final run of the afternoon.

The wins improved John Carroll's record to 18-16 overall and 10-8 in the OAC. Marietta fell to 21-14 and 11-7.

Ohio Northern and Muskingum shared the regular season title with 12-6 records. Ohio Northern will be the #1 seed and host of the OAC Tournament which starts May 2. JCU will be the #4 seed and will play Ohio Northern in game two of the playoff at 12 noon.

More information on the OAC Tournament will be forthcoming at jcusports.com