ALLIANCE, Ohio – The No. 6 seeded Capital University softball team took on the No. 11 nationally ranked and No. 1 seeded Mount Union Purple Raiders in the OAC Tournament semifinals on Friday morning where the Comets pulled off a huge seventh inning comeback to stun the hosts and advance to the OAC Tournament Championship game. Capital scored three times in the final inning and hung on in the bottom of the seventh to steal a 5-4 win over the Purple Raiders. The Comets will play for the OAC title tomorrow afternoon for the first time since 2017 when they finished as tournament runner-ups.
Capital improves to 20-17 overall, while Mount drops to 29-6 on the year.
The game carried into the third inning scoreless before Mount went in front with a run on an RBI single by Faith Reicosky. That run did not deter the Comets though who would answer back in the top of the fourth.
The fourth inning really got going as
Autumn Bridges would triple to right center. She then scored as
Ryanne Wilson sent a double to the same right center gap, making it 1-1. Wilson herself would score on the next batter as
Shelby Allen doubled to left field, to put the Comets up 2-1.
Mount then scored in the bottom half to tie it back at 2-2 before they plated two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to go up 4-2.
That would set up an exciting seventh inning as the Comets would kickstart the momentum on a single up the middle by
Megan Parry.
Isabel Sayre and
Morgan Priest followed with a pair of bloop singles to load the bases. Then,
Audrey Thomas and
Kyleigh Kirby drew back-to-back bases loaded walks to tie it at 4-4. The next batter,
Autumn Bridges, then sent a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Priest and put the Comets up 5-4.
That lead would hold as
Addi Parker slammed the door shut on the bottom half of the seventh inning to secure the win.
In total, Capital collected six hits as
Autumn Bridges,
Ryanne Wilson,
Shelby Allen,
Megan Parry,
Isabel Sayre, and
Morgan Priest would each have one. Capital also walked three times with Kirby drawing two base on balls and Thomas walking once as well.
The Comets used a group effort in the pitcher's circle to get the job done as
Addi Parker (6-4) earned her second win of the OAC Tournament. She conceded one run on three hits.
Alyssa Miller tossed 1.1 innings, allowing a run on three hits as well.
Megan Mlinaric tossed 1.2 innings and conceded two unearned runs on three hits.
UP NEXT
Capital will play in the OAC Tournament Championships tomorrow, May 9th, at 2 p.m. on the campus of Mount Union. The Comets will play against the winner of the Muskingum vs. Heidelberg game. That game was started today before being suspended in the top of the third inning due to weather. That game will conclude at noon tomorrow before the winner plays Capital at 2 p.m.
