COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Capital University softball team played well, but in the end were upended in a pair of games to John Carroll University on Friday afternoon.
The record for the Comets now sits at 4-8 overall and 0-4 in the OAC. JCU improves to 12-8, 2-4 on the year.
GAME ONE: JCU wins 4-3
Capital shook off a run in the top of the first inning and responded with a flourish as
Kyleigh Kirby clubbed a home run to straightaway center field, leveling the score at 1-1.
In the top of the second, JCU scored again, making it 2-1, but
Krislyn Bayles' perfectly executed squeeze bunt in the bottom half of the inning leveled the score at 2-2 as
Tiffany Zuelzke came home on the play.
From there, Cap grabbed their third run of the game in the bottom of the third as
Megan Mlinaric singled home Kirby to put the Comets on top, 3-2.
Unfortunately an unearned run in the top of the fourth and another unearned run in the top of the sixth doomed the Comets.
Despite a threatening situation with runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh inning with no outs, Capital failed to get a run in, dropping the game 4-3.
Brianna Shearer threw the first 5.2 innings, scattering seven hits and three walks around five strikeouts. Kirby took the mound in relief, throwing 1.1 innings and conceding just one hit in her pitching debut for the Comets.
GAME TWO: JCU wins 8-5
The Comets jumped out to a 3-0 lead through the third inning thanks to
Lexie Leggett. Hitting in the leadoff spot, Leggett clubbed a solo home run in the bottom of the first and then smacked a two-run homer in the bottom of the third.
Despite playing from in front, Capital fell behind in the top of the fourth as the Blue Streaks put five runs on the board. John Carroll then added one more in the fifth and two in the top of the seventh to extend the lead to 8-3.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Comets rallied with two runs, but ran out steam eventually dropping the game. The runs came courtesy of
Kyleigh Kirby's RBI double that scored
Autumn Bridges, and
Liz Stonerock's RBI double that scored Kirby.
Megan Mlinaric toed the rubber in game two, throwing 3.2 innings and allowing seven hits, five runs and a pair of walks while striking out two.
Alyssa Zolman threw 3.1 innings of relief and allowed three runs on seven hits.
NOTABLES
Lexie Leggett's two home-run outing in game two marked the second time in her career in which she has homered twice in the same game. She also did it last spring in Capital's win over Miami Hamilton on April 22nd.
Kyleigh Kirby and Leggett now share the team-lead in home runs with four each.
Autumn Bridges finished the day with two hits including her first career triple.
UP NEXT
Capital will have a quick turnaround as they play Denison for two games tomorrow, April 8th at 1 and 3 p.m. at Clowson Field. Then, the Comets will travel to Otterbein on Monday, April 10th to make-up their postponed games with the Cardinals.
