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Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

COLUMBUS – The Capital University softball team continued its winning ways with solid pitching and strong defense Wednesday, defeating Mount Union in consecutive Ohio Athletic Conference games at Clowson Field.

The Crusaders (22-8 overall, 10-2 OAC) edged the Purple Raiders 2-1 before pulling away late for a 6-2 triumph in the second game. Capital remains in first place in the league standings and is in prime position to make its first OAC Tournament appearance since 2007.

Senior shortstop Devan Boggs (West Jefferson, Ohio) broke a tie for the conference's all-time leader in career doubles, taking the record outright with a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the sixth in Game 2. The two-base hit, the 52nd of her career, also increased the Crusaders' advantage to four runs.

Capital plated a pair in the bottom of the first of that contest as sophomore catcher Maura Rose (Williamsport, Pa.) connected on her sixth home run of the season, an opposite field shot.

After Mount Union (16-11, 6-6) cut the deficit to 2-1, the Crusaders responded in the bottom of the fourth as senior right fielder Katie Neely (Sugar Grove, Ohio) sent a two-out base hit to right field to score freshman second baseman Brooklyn Staten (Grove City, Ohio). Capital tallied again on an RBI single by Rose in the bottom of the fifth.

Sophomore pitcher Alyssa Patznick (Newark, Ohio) posted another strong performance in the circle to move to 11-4 on the year. She scattered six hits and a pair of walks while striking out three over seven innings.

Staten and Neely each finished 2-for-3 at the plate.

In the opener, the Crusaders tallied twice in the opening frame and hung on for the win, holding the Purple Raiders to just three hits in the affair. Capital took advantage of an error and a run-scoring single by sophomore left fielder LeAnna Cotton (Okeechobee, Fla.).

Sophomore Brooke Billings (Clyde, Ohio) struck out four in her complete-game win to move to 11-4 for the campaign. Cotton and Neely each posted two hits to lead the offense.

Defensively, the Crusaders committed just one error in the two games combined and made several highlight-reel plays, including catches against the fence by freshman third baseman Katlyn Simpson (Loudonville, Ohio) in foul territory and by Cotton in deep left center field.

Capital visits Wilmington for its final OAC road doubleheader of the regular season this Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Wilmington, Ohio.