Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
The long ball proved to be costly for Lourdes University in both games of Thursday afternoon's non-conference doubleheader as the Gray Wolves fell 4-3 and 10-7 to Northwestern Ohio at Racer Field in Lima, Ohio.
 
The Gray Wolves built an early lead in the opener with a pair of second inning runs.  Three straight hits by Erica Marvaso (Brownstown, Mich./Woodhaven H.S.), Hillary West (Walbridge, Ohio/Lake H.S.), and Megan Mosiniak (Swanton, Ohio/Evergreen H.S.) loaded the bases with one out.  A throwing error on a fielder's choice attempt allowed Marvaso to score the first run of the game and Breyahna Guy (Romulus, Mich./Woodhaven H.S.) drove home West with a pinch-hit groundout.
 
Lourdes added a third run in the top of the third as the Racers committed five errors in the inning, three of which allowed Hayley Roberts (Brownstown, Mich./Woodhaven H.S.) to work her way around the bases.
 
Casey Cherry (Comstock Park, Mich./Comstock Park H.S.) was nearly perfect through the first three innings in the circle for Lourdes.  In the fourth two hits and an error loaded the bases with one out before Alyssa McQueen hit a grand slam which accounted for all of Northwestern Ohio's runs in the game. 
 
The Gray Wolves were unable to rally late, registering just one hit after the second inning, and four hits total in the game.  Marvaso went 2-for-2 to account for half of Lourdes offense.
 
Erica Gulick earned the win (7-8) for UNOH, scattering the four hits while not allowing an earned run.  She struck out two and walked just one.  Cherry suffered the loss (6-5), giving up all four runs, three of which were earned, and three hits.  She struck out three and walked one.
 
Northwestern Ohio's bats were alive in the opening inning of game two, as McQueen's second home run of the day capped a five-run first.  Camille Martin hit a solo home run in the third to start a four-run inning as the Racers built a 9-0 lead.
 
Alyssa Schaub (Archbold, Ohio/Archbold H.S.) put Lourdes on the scoreboard with a two-run blast of her own in the fifth before Marvaso added a RBI single later in the inning which plated Roberts. 
 
The Racers added a run in the fifth to increase their lead to 10-3 before Lourdes tried to mount a seventh-inning rally.  The Gray Wolves scored four times and had the tying run at the plate in the final inning before Northwestern Ohio (15-19) recorded the final out.  Marvaso recorded her second RBI of the game with a groundout that plated Bre Megyesi (Whitehouse, Ohio/Anthony Wayne H.S.) and Roberts later scored on a wild pitch and an error.  Kayla Encalado (Walbridge, Ohio/Lake H.S.) doubled to the gap in right-center scoring Emily Gawronski (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg H.S.) and scored one batter later on a double by Ashley Yeager (Sylvania, Ohio/Northview H.S.).  Schaub followed with an infield single to put two runners aboard, but was unable to tie the game.
 
Schaub went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in while Roberts also had three hits and scored twice as Lourdes tallied 15 hits in the game. 
 
Chelsea Miller earned the win (7-6) for Northwestern Ohio, giving up seven runs and 14 hits in 6.2 innings of work.  Gulik came on for the final out to earn her first save of the year.  Kasey Graham (Oregon, Ohio/Clay H.S.) suffered the loss (4-10), giving up five runs and five hits in one inning in the circle.
 
Lourdes (12-18) will return to WHAC play on Saturday afternoon as the Gray Wolves travel to Grand Rapids, Mich. to face Aquinas.  First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. at Michigan Fuller Field.