J.Mangola, Cash lead No. 3 Ohio Northern to 10-0, 8-0 sweep of Muskingum on Senior Day
By Tim Glon
ADA -- Junior Jackie Mangola homored twice and senior Cortney Cash threw a pair of shutouts as No. 3-ranked Ohio Northern swept Muskingum 10-0 and 8-0 in an Ohio Athletic Conference softball double header Friday afternoon on Senior Day at the ONU Softball Field.
The Polar Bears improve to 32-2 overall and stay undefeated at 14-0 in OAC play, while the Muskies fall to 16-18, 6-8.
Mangola finished the day 6 for 7 with two home runs and 7 RBI.
Her two home runs give her nine for the season, tying her with sophomore Kimi Blewett for team-high honors.
Cash threw a 4-hit shutout in Game 1 and a 1-hit shutout in Game 2 to improve to 17-1 on the season.
The Polar Bears also clinched a spot in the OAC Tournament with the sweep and can clinch the home field advantage and top seed in the tournament with a two victories in their final four OAC regular season contests.
Northern took a 2-0 lead in the opener when freshman Meghan Anten scored on a throwing error by the MU catcher when senior Tina Mangola stole second.
Sophomore Katie Cretin the singled up the middle to score Mangola to make it 2-0.
Northern struck again in the bottom of the third when senior Mandi Fought singled, stole second and scored an a RBI single by Mangola to make it 3-0.
Senior Katie Salay led off the bottom of the fifth with a single, advanced to second on a ground out by senior Mandi Fought and scored on a single by sophomore Jackie Mangola to make it 4-0 ONU.
Sophomore pinch-runner Erika Holcomb scored on a throwing error to make it 5-0 and Anten followed with a 2-run single to give ONU a 7-0 advantage.
Jackie Mangola drilled a 3-run home run, her eighth of the season, to wrap up the contest.
Senior Cortney Cash threw a 4-hit shutout to earn the victory and move to 16-1 on the season.
In Game 2, Northern got a run in the bottom of the second when Anten led off the inning with a double and scored on a single by Cretin.
In the home half of the third, Jackie Mangola led off the inning with a solo home run to left center to give ONU a 2-0 advantage.
Sophomore Kimi Blewett then singled and scored on a 2-run home run by Tina Mangola, her eighth of the year.
Northern added to its lead in the ottom of the fifth when Anten led off with a triple and scored on a single up the middle by freshman Cassie Rankin.
With one out and the bases loaded, Fought hit a 2-run single to score pinch-runners Holcomb and freshman Abbey Bensing to give ONU a 7-0 advantage.
The Polar Bears will return to action Wednesday with an OAC doubleheader at Wilmington.
