The John Carroll University Blue Streaks looked to right the ship on Saturday afternoon in Ada, Ohio, but many a Blue Streak softball player through the years can speak to how difficult it is to turn a ship around at Ohio Northern University.

Coming in winning two of their last three games overall, the Blue Streaks had a rhythm going offensively. John Carroll had scored 21 runs in their previous three games entering Saturday's games.

Unfortunately, the first place Polar Bears proved to be a force to be reckoned with, especially at home. ONU entered Saturday's games as winners of their last 8 contests, including an impressive sweep over Baldwin Wallace. A close game one saw ONU prevail, 3-1, before a nightcap turned into a rout.

Game One
   
A pitching duel was front and center throughout the entirety of the opener. ONU would muster just one run through the first four frames. This occurred when Jordan Cloonan  came around to score off of a sacrifice bunt from Rachel Hish in the third inning.

John Carroll found themselves trailing by only one run entering the bottom of the 5th. This was before Alicia Stewart singled to bring in two more runs for the Polar Bears.

The Blue Streaks had their struggles offensively against starting pitcher Kaitlin Surdej. John Carroll would advance a runner to third base four times before finally getting a run across in the sixth inning. That was when an Elizabeth Fraas groundout enabled Emma Gurley to score on the throw.

John Carroll would leave 10 runners on base.

Junior pitcher Jenn Patterson would do a solid job containing the Ohio Northern offense on the afternoon. Entering play the Polar Bears posted a .350 batting average, slugging .461, and scoring 138 runs on the season. Patterson would hold them to just two earned runs on the day, while executing pitches in crucial parts of the game. 

Quinn Sobieszczanski led JCU's offense providing two hits, and  Gurley added the lone extra base hit for the Blue Streaks.



Game Two

Game two began and it looked like the Blue Streaks offense had flipped the switch. The first three batters hit safely en route to a two run first inning for John Carroll.

In the bottom of the first Jess Cook managed to hold ONU to just one unearned run off a throwing error in the outfield.

JCU would respond again immediately in the top of the second as Miranda Noday smacked her first home run of the season to push the Blue Streak lead to 3-1.

That would end the John Carroll highlights.

Ohio Northern would score nine in the bottom fo the second, six in the third and seven in the fourth to end the game after five innings at 23-3.

Noday was 2-2 at the plate while Sobieszczanski continues to see the ball well, tallying two hits herself.

The Blue Streaks move to 12-20 on the year and 2-10 in the OAC.

They will look to gain ground in the conference in an OAC doubleheader against the University of Mount Union on Tuesday at Bracken Field at 3:00 p.m.