Gabby Stewart drills two home runs as Softball split with Baldwin Wallace

By Tim Glon

ADA -- Freshman Gabby Stewart (Union, Ky./St. Henry) drilled the first two home runs of her collegiate career to lead Ohio Northern to an Ohio Athletic Conference softball split with Baldwin Wallace on Tuesday afternoon at the ONU Softball Field.

The Polar Bears (23-9 overall, 9-5 OAC) won the nightcap 8-0 after the Yellow Jackets (11-18-1, 4-9-1) won the opener 2-0.

In Game 2, Stewart hit a 2-run home run in the bottom of the first to give Ohio Northern a quick 2-0 lead.

She then smacked a 3-run bomb in the bottom of the sixth to end the game via the NCAA's 8-run rule.

Stewart finished the game 3-for-4 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI in the second game.

Sophomore Kaitlin Surdej (Lancaster/Central) had a perfect game through 3.2 innings and finished with a 3-hit shutout to improve to 10-5 on the season.

ONU added to its 2-0 lead in the fourth when freshman Brady Guest (Convoy/Crestview) doubled and scored on a single by freshman Sam Arnold (Uhrichsville/Claymont) to make it 3-0.

Junior Jenna Hollar (Lima/Bath) made it 4-0 in the fifth when she scored from first base on a single and a fielding error by the Yellow Jackets.

Northern then ended the game with a 4-run sixth frame, keyed by Stewart's second dinger of the contest.

In Game 1, BW broke a scoreless tie with a 2-run home run in the top of the seventh to win the opener 2-0.

Junior Kirsten Lightel (Tallmadge) was solid in the circle, allowing juts five hits and striking out seven in the complete game loss.

The Polar Bears will return to action Saturday when they host Heidelberg in an OAC twin-bill at 1 pm at the ONU Softball Field.