B-W: The B-W Softball Team Sweeps a Pair of Games, 7-2 and 2-0, Against Ohio

Athletic Conference Rival Heidelberg College in Tiffin

BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College softball team swept a pair of Ohio Athletic Conference games today (Tuesday, April 20) against OAC rival Heidelberg College in Tiffin. The Yellow Jackets won the first game, 7-2, and captured the nightcap, 2-0.

With the two victories, B-W is now 16-12 overall and 9-7 in the OAC. With its two losses, Heidelberg fell to 3-29 overall and 1-15 in the OAC.

In the first game, Heidelberg took an early 1-0 lead after the first inning. The Yellow Jackets would score four runs of their own in the top of the the fourth to take a 4-1 advantage. B-W extended its lead in the fifth inning thanks to a two-run homerun by All-American catcher Nicole Loudin (Sheffield Lake/ Elyria Catholic). Loudin's homerun was her eighth of the season. Sophomore infielder Casey Ward (Amherst/ Steele) padded the Yellow Jacket lead with a RBI single in the sixth giving B-W a commanding 7-1 lead. The Student Princes would score a run in the bottom of the seventh on a wild pitch but would not score again as B-W went on to the 7-2 victory.

Junior pitcher, K.C. Young (Olmsted Twp./ Olmsted Falls) improved to 4-6 for the season pitching in all seven innings allowing two earned runs and striking out six batters. Offensively, Loudin led all hitters going three-for-four from the plate including the homerun and three RBI.

In the nightcap, Casey Ward and junior P/1B Jeanette Brezina (Parma Heights/ Valley Forge) would hit back-to-back doubles to start the game allowing Ward to score. Brezina would later score from third on a passed ball giving B-W a 2-0 lead after the first inning of play. The two runs proved to be all that the Yellow Jackets needed as they went on to win and the two-game sweep.

On the mound, senior Liz Fries (Columbus/ Bishop Watterson) got her first shutout and seventh win of the season and improved to 7-2 overall with a team-leading 1.46 ERA. In the game against Heidelberg, Fries went the distance for B-W giving up no runs and six strikeouts.

B-W will next play on Thursday, April 22 when B-W hosts Greater Cleveland and nonleague foe Ursuline College in a ndoubleheader at 3:30 p.m. at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds Field. The Yellow Jackets will close out the 2004 OAC schedule this Saturday, April 24 with a key twinbill versus OAC rival Capital University at 1:00 p.m. With two wins, B-W will earn a spot in next week's OAC Tournament at regular season champion Muskingum College in New Concord.

FOR MORE B-W SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact SID Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, by FAX Machine at 440-826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. To contact softball coach Joe Yocabet, please call him in his office at 440-826-3398 or e-mail Assistant Coach Bob Cochrane at rcochran@bw.edu.