On Saturday afternoon the John Carroll softball team welcomed Ohio Northern University at Bracken Field in their Ohio Athletic Conference home opener.

The Blue Streaks (7-9, 1-3 OAC) stole the first game 6-5, thanks to a Christie Wade walk-off double. However, they would fall to the Polar Bears (12-10, 2-2 OAC) in the second game, 4-3.

GAME 1

Ohio Northern scored first as Amanda Lahti doubled, scoring Jenna Hollar. John Carroll struck back immediately with a quick three runs. Senior Alyssa Coleman started the two-out rally for the Blue Streaks with a big triple which scored Hannah Mizener. Coleman advanced to home courtesy of a Christie Wade double in the following at bat. Wade stole third to get into scoring position and Angie Zappitelli singled to left field to give JCU a 3-1 lead.

Both teams battled defensively until the bats came alive in the sixth inning. The Polar Bears had runners in scoring position with no outs. Gia Saturday ran across home as Kirsten Lightel reached first base. Up next for ONU was Megan Hupp, who also singled, to score Laura Burden to tie up the game, 3-3.

In the bottom of the 6th, Coleman was up to bat to first for the Blue Streaks. She singled, then quickly advanced to second on an error, and then reached third on a passed ball. The next pitch, Wade hit the ball to the gap right behind second base to score Coleman and give the Blue Streaks a one-run advantage, 5-4, entering the seventh.

Saturday's double, which actually ended up being a three-base play because of an error, put her into scoring position in the top of the seventh, as well as scoring Lahti to tie up the game at four. Then, Miranda Huddle scored Saturday to give the Polar Bears the lead, 5-4. However, that lead would not be enough to secure the win.

With two outs, Mizener and Simecek were both walked by Lightel. Coleman came up to bat and singled to load up the bases. Finally, Wade finished the game off with a walk-off double to score Mizener and Simecek for a 6-5 win.

Wade had four RBI in the first game at her four total at-bats.

Kirchner and Lightel both finished the game with eight strikeouts, however, Lightel had four walks, three of which came in the bottom of the 7th.

GAME 2

Carly Simecek fed off the excitement of the ending of first game and hit a two-run homer to right field to give the Blue Streaks an early 2-0 lead.

However, in the fourth inning, Gia Saturday doubled to right center to score Megan Hupp. Then, Amanda Lahti grounded out to third base, but score Kylie Asmus in the process to even the score out at two. In the following inning, with the bases loaded and two outs, back-to-back walks scored two runs for the Polar Bears. ONU took a slight 4-2 lead.

Hannah Mizener reignited the Blue Streaks as she smacked a deep home run over the center field fence to close to the gap, 4-3.

In the final inning of the day, with two outs, Taylor Tercek singled to get on base. Up next was Hannah Mizener, who also singled and moved Tercek in position to score.

However, the Blue and Gold were unable to get her across home and ended up falling to ONU, 4-3.

John Carroll will travel to Berea, Ohio on Wed., April 6th to play a doubleheader against Baldwin Wallace.