NEW CONCORD, Ohio – The Capital University softball team earned a split away to Muskingum University on Wednesday evening thanks to a seventh inning rally in game one. The Comets won the opener 7-2 after scoring six runs in the final frame. Cap then fell 9-1 in game two via the run-rule in six innings.
The result moves Capital's record to 8-12 overall and 1-7 in the conference. Muskie moves to 18-8 overall and 5-3 in the OAC.
GAME ONE: Capital wins 7-2
Neither team found runs until the top of the third inning when Capital broke the ice. There,
Lexie Leggett singled through the left side and scored
Kelcie Schnitzler.
The Comet lead would last until the bottom of the fourth when Muskie tied the game at 1-1. Then an inning later in the bottom of the fifth, Muskie took the lead on an unearned run, making it 2-1.
Trailing 2-1 with just three outs left, Capital rallied in the top of the seventh.
Emma Sweetman got things going with a single through the left side. With Sweetman on first,
Kelcie Schnitzler came to the plate with two outs and she reached on an error, extending the inning. With the extra opportunities, the Comets took full advantage, scoring six unearned runs. Sweetman scored on a wild pitch,
Autumn Bridges drew a walk that enabled Schnitzler to score on another wild pitch, Leggett singled to center field for two runs, and
Megan Mlinaric homered, putting a cherry on top of the Comet scoring.
Brianna Shearer evened her season record at 4-4 throwing another complete game win. She scattered six hits, two runs (one earned), two walks and six strikeouts across seven innings.
GAME TWO: Muskingum wins 9-1
Capital picked up right where they left off, scoring a single run in the top of the first inning of game two.
Kyleigh Kirby led off the game with a single to left center and moved to second on a sac bunt from
Autumn Bridges. A wild pitch then moved her to third and allowed her to score on
Lexie Leggett's RBI ground out.
Unfortunately for Capital, further offense was hard to come by as only Kirby and Leggett would collect base hits for the remainder of the game.
Muskingum plated nine runs off a group of four Capital pitchers to secure the run-rule victory in six innings at 9-1. Those pitchers included
Megan Mlinaric (L, 1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 K),
Krislyn Bayles (2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER),
Brianna Shearer (0.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER), and
Jessica Workman (2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 K).
NOTABLES
Lexie Leggett finished 3-for-7 across the two games and knocked in four RBIs.
Kyleigh Kirby was also 3-for-7 with two runs scored.
Megan Mlinaric's game one home run was her third of the season and brought her season RBI total to 20.
As a team, Capital has hit 21 home runs this season, a number the Comets haven't hit since the 2015 season when they slugged 28 that year.
UP NEXT
Capital will be returning home for their next two games, as they host Manchester University on Friday, April 14th at 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. Due to the nature of scheduling these games will not have live coverage in stats or video and scoring will be compiled via dugout books and added to the website as soon as possible after the game.
