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WILMINGTON, Ohio –  In crunch time, the Capital University softball team pulled out two wins on Thursday afternoon at Wilmington College. The Crusaders took both games by scores of 2-0 and 4-2. 

The doubleheader sweep was the team's second straight after they defeated Baldwin Wallace in consecutive games last Sunday. With the wins, the team's record now stands at 14-20, while Wilmington is 16-22. 

Offensively for the Crusaders combined for 19 hits between the games. Leading the way was Alysa Durbin with four hits and two RBIs. Lexie Leggett added three hits and scored two runs. Brianna Shearer was credited with the win in both games, throwing a combined 12 innings and allowing just seven hits and two runs.

GAME ONE - Capital wins 2-0 (Box Score)
The Crusaders cruised to their 2-0 win in game one behind a brilliant pitching display from Brianna Shearer, sound fielding, and clutch runs scored. 

Shearer sat down the first four Quaker batters before surrendering her first hit. Despite the hit, Shearer settled in and got through the second inning unscathed. 

In the top of the third, Capital got on the board. Kim Rega led off the inning with a double to the gap in left center. Two batters later, she advanced to third on a sac bunt from Tiffany Zuelzke and then scored on a RBI single from reigning OAC Hitter of the Week, Alysa Durbin. 

With the Purple and White ahead 1-0, the game cruised on into the sixth, where Capital added an insurance run. With two outs, Lexie Leggett doubled to left and then scored on an RBI single from Haley Grau, pushing the lead to 2-0. 

Shearer finished off the Quakers in the bottom of the seventh, on her fourth 1-2-3 inning of the game. All-in-all, Shearer tossed the complete game shutout and conceded just three hits and hit one batter. She struck out seven, including all three outs in the bottom of the third inning. 

For Wilmington, Lindsey Carter started in the circle and picked up her eighth loss of the year. She conceded nine hits and two runs. She did strike out three Crusaders though. 

GAME TWO - Capital wins 4-2 (Box Score)
Capital crucially got on the board early in game two. In the top of the first, Lauren Kachure led off the game with a double to left center. Alyx Slusher then sacrificed her over to third. With Kachure on third and Alysa Durbin at the plate, coach Andrea Nagy put the bunt sign on.  The play caught the Quakers off guard, allowing Durbin to reach first and Kachure to score, pushing Capital ahead 1-0. 

Both teams were kept relatively quiet heading through to the fifth inning where Capital tacked on another run. Similarly to the first inning, the Crusaders got a lead off double, this time from Alyx Wulff. Two batters later, Wulff scored on an RBI single from Alyx Slusher, adding a critical insurance run. 

Deja vu struck yet again as Capital scored another run in the top of the sixth in the same order as the prior two runs. This time Lexie Leggett doubled to lead off, Haley Grau laid down the sac bunt, and Tiffany Zuelzke singled to score Leggett from third. Cap kept the insurance going as Alyx Wulff reached on a throwing error by the Quaker second baseman. The play enabled Zuelzke to round the bases and score, pushing their lead out to 4-0. 

Wilmington rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but couldn't overcome the deficit, allowing Capital to leave with the 4-2 win. 

Katelyn Wilhelm started in the circle for Capital in game two.. In her two innings of work, she allowed four hits. Brianna Shearer relieved Wilhelm in the third and finished out the game, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out four as she picked up her 10th win of the season and second of the day. 

Alexis Stringfellow (8-6) pitched the distance for Wilmington and allowed four runs on 10 hits. 

UP NEXT  
Both teams will square off in the final doubleheader of the 2021 regular season tomorrow in Columbus. First pitch at Clowson Field is scheduled for 1 p.m. Capital will be playing, needing to win both games to boost their chances of qualification for the OAC Tournament.