#20 Mt Union tops Ohio Northern 5-1 in first round of OAC Tournament

May 2, 2008

By Tim Glon

NEW CONCORD — No. 20-ranked Mount Union scored five unearned runs in the top of the third and held on for a 5-1 victory Ohio Northern in the first round of the 2008 Ohio Athletic Conference Softball Tournament Friday morning at Muskingum.

The third-seeded Polar Bears (27-12) were leading John Carroll 1-0 in the third inning of Game 4 Friday evening when play was suspended due to a passing line of thunderstorms.

That elimination game will resume at 9 am Saturday.

The winner of that game will then face No. 13-ranked Muskingum in another elimination game at 11 am. The Muskies fell to Mt. Union in the winner's bracket semifinal game Friday afternoon.

Mt Union is in the finals on Saturday at 1 pm.

Mount Union used three ONU errors to score five unearned runs in the bottom of the third inning to break a scoreless tie and take a commanding 5-0 advantage.

"We were not ready to play," ONU head coach Annette Hunt said. "We didn't swing the bat and struck out looking six times. We must play better in the next game or we will be going home early."

The Polar Bears got on the board in the top of the sixth when Tina Mangola led off the inning with a double and scored on a sharp single by Liz Decima to make it 5-1.

Stephenie Inkrott (15-7) pitched well in the losing effort, allowed only four hits and no earned runs in the complete game outing.

Lindsey Royer (24-4) struck out 12 and gave up six hits on the mound to earn the win for the Purple Raiders.

Mangola and Fought each doubled and Matti McFarlin was 1-for-1 with two walks to lead the ONU offense.