After suffering two consecutive losses this past Saturday, John Carroll softball was in need of a victory. The team was certainly up to the task on Wednesday afternoon.
The Blue Streaks softball team split a doubleheader with visiting Heidelberg to earn its seventh conference win of the season on Wednesday afternoon at Bracken Field.
Carly Simecek blasted her fourth home run of the spring and paved way to a convincing home victory with five RBI in game one.
AnnMarie Kirchner earned her seventh win of the season with a complete game performance (7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K).
In the second game, JCU fell just short of victory by a score of 4-2.
Hannah Mizener tallied three hits in the game and registered a crucial triple play with the bases loaded.
Right from the outset of the first game, John Carroll displayed a winning edge on both sides of the ball. After Kirchner pitched a quick 1-2-3 first inning, the offense went to work in the bottom half. Both Mizener and Lauren Ciancolo reached base to set the table for Simecek in the three-hole of the lineup.
The junior third baseman delivered with a deep home run toward the line in left field. One inning yielded the Blue Streaks an early 3-0 advantage.
The offensive barrage continued in the second frame thanks to an rbi single to center field from Lauren Ciancolo and a two-run single to right-center by Simecek. Kirchner hit a line-drive home run to extend the Blue and Gold lead to seven after three innings of play.
Despite a Heidelberg home run,
Christie Wade responded with her second long shot of the year to straight away center field. Kirchner put the finishing touches on her pitching masterpiece to give John Carroll the win.
The second game of the day was more of a pitchers dual between JCU's
Brianna Lach and Heidelberg's Erin Chapman.
The Student Princes grabbed an early one-run lead in the top half of the first inning thanks to a walk, hit by pitch, and a wild pitch. The Blue Streaks successfully responded by scoring a run in both the second and third frames.
Wade was able to score on a passed ball to score the team's first run while
Alyssa Coleman doubled in a run for the second score. Through three innings, John Carroll held a slim one-run lead.
With the bases loaded and nobody out in the top of the fourth inning, it appeared JCU was in deep trouble. One pitch later, the inning was over thanks to a 9-2-5 triple play turned by Mizener,
Maggie Gannon, and Simecek.
After originally being ruled a double play, the umpires reversed the call and ruled it a triple play after the runner at third left early on an attempted sacrifice fly.
A three-run fifth inning and a dominant pitching performance from Chapman would be too much for the Blue Streaks to handle in the remaining portion of the game.
Freshman
Jessica Cook had a fantastic performance out of the Blue and Gold bullpen with 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
The results of the day leaves John Carroll in a three-way tie for fifth place with four games to play -- two against Muskingum (tied with JCU for fifth at 7-7) and two against Marietta (one of two teams tied for third at 8-6) -- but still in control of its destiny.
Next up for JCU is a road trip to New Concord, Ohio against Muskingum University on Saturday. The twin bill is slated for a 1:00 p.m. start time at Donna J. Newberry Field.
