A win against one of the top teams in the OAC softball standings could potentially go a long way.
 
With just two OAC games remaining after today's twin bill, John Carroll picked up a key win in the second game of its doubleheader with Capital.
 
The two teams would split with the guests taking the 10-4 decision in game one and the hosts rebounding with the 11-6 win in game two.
 
Capital's record stands at 24-9, 13-3 OAC after the split. John Carroll's record stands at 20-14, 9-7 OAC. John Carroll is currently in a three-way tie with Muskingum and Otterbein for the fourth spot in the OAC Tournament after the split.
 
Game One
Capital 10, John Carroll 4
 
A three-run third and a three-run fourth led to Capital's 10-4 win in the first game.
 
Capital scored first on Therese Becker's one-out single in the second. John Carroll answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the frame on Alyssa Coleman's leadoff homer.
 
Capital laced back-to-back singles to start the third before LeAnna Cotton drove in the first run of the frame via a sacrifice fly. The Crusaders would receive RBIs doubles from Maura Rose and Kat Boyer to push their lead to 4-1.
 
John Carroll struck twice in the bottom of the third making it a one-run game. JCU loaded the bases prior to Angie Zappitelli delivering a two-out, two-run single to right.
 
Cotton, Capital's left fielder delivered a three-run mash in the fourth inning extending Capital's lead to 7-3.
 
John Carroll scored its last run of the game in the fifth. Carly Simecek plated Hannah Mizener with a one-out single, which made the score 7-4.
 
Capital added two insurance runs in the sixth and one in the seventh.
 
Ann Marie Kirchner fell to 9-6 with the loss. The sophomore allowed seven runs on eight hits in four innings.
 
Mizener led JCU at the plate going 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
 
Game Two
John Carroll 11, Capital 6
 
A pair of big innings gave John Carroll the split as the Blue Streaks would take game two 11-6. John Carroll had a five-run third inning and a six-run fifth.
 
Capital kept up the offensive pressure in the first three innings. Rachel Byrnes was in damage control only allowing three runs while stranding six over the first three frames.
 
John Carroll gave the senior right-hander a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the third.
 
The Blue Streaks started the frame loading the bases on a Taylor Tercek single and back-to-back walks by Mizener and Coleman. Simecek, one of the hottest hitters in the league, came through with a two-run double down the right field line. Christe Wade followed suit with a two-run single to center and would go on to score the final run of the frame.
 
The lead would not hold as a double from Brooklyn Statena and a single from Therese Becker knotted the game at five in the fourth inning.
 
Victoria Eder capped the six-run fifth with a two-out, two-run single to left field. Earlier in the inning JCU received RBI singles from Tercek and Coleman, a RBI double from Wade and a sacrifice fly from Mizener.
 
Byrnes picked up the win improving to 11-7 on the year.
 
Tercek led the team at the plate finishing 4-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Wade also had a big day at the plate in the second game going 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
 
John Carroll takes on Division II Ursuline in Pepper Pike, Ohio on Tuesday. First pitch from Ursuline is slated for 3:30 p.m. Check back to www.jcusports.com for any potential weather-related updates.