SYLVANIA, Ohio – The Lourdes softball team (5-6, 2-0 in WHAC) swept the Cleary Cougars (7-14, 1-3 in WHAC) by scores of 4-3 and 5-3 on Sunday afternoon.

The doubleheader was the last-ever home opener for Lourdes on Gray Wolf Field. The occasion drew a big crowd, including the 2016 Lourdes softball team that made the NAIA National Tournament.  

The victories pushed Lourdes into 2^nd-place early on in the WHAC season. On the other hand, Cleary currently stands in 9^th-place in the league.

Game 1, W : 4-3
In the home opener, senior Mallori Bradley got the start on the mound for Lourdes. The Zanesville, Ohio native won her first game of the season, improving her record to 1-3 on the year. Bradley threw 3.1 innings, allowing six hits and three runs.

The three Cougars runs all came in the third inning. Brooke Williams hit a double to score Grace Polega, Carley Kalbfleisch doubled to score Williams, and Summer Smith hit an RBI single to score Kalbfleisch.

The three runs were counteracted in the previous inning by Lourdes as the Gray Wolves offense put up three in the second. Senior second baseman Robyn Ryan hit a long gap triple into right-centerfield to score Olivia Rompf and Cami Heath. Then, Jessyca Smith hit an RBI single to score Ryan from third base. The score was tied at three apiece heading into the bottom of the third.

Jessyca Smith led the team with five hits in the two wins combined and got on base in 75% of her at-bats. Smith is second out of the team's regular starters with a .389 average.

Heath, who also got on in the crucial second inning, is leading the team with a monstrous .529 batting average. The freshman right fielder's average is also leading the WHAC and is fifth in the nation at the NAIA level for players who've played in at least 75% of the team's games.  

Maddie Darrah put the nail in the coffin in the bottom of the third with a sacrifice fly to score pinch-runner Ryleigh Mercer. The fourth run ended up being all that Lourdes needed to secure the one-run victory.

Defensively, Darrah had a great game as she threw two Cougars out trying to steal second base. Darrah leads the conference and is 10^th in the NAIA with a 35.7% caught stealing rate. The backstop talked postgame about her ability to eliminate traffic on the bases.

"I'm just always on my toes and ready for whenever that runner is going," Darrah said. "I'm always trusting my shortstop Lindsey (McGann) out there too, she's amazing."

As Mallori Bradley, handed the ball off to the Gray Wolves' relief pitching staff in the fourth inning, the Cougars offense went silent. Berlynn Keller threw three great innings for Lourdes, allowing just two hits. Then, in the seventh inning, Cassi Kieper came in to get her first save as a Gray Wolf.

With the game still within a run, the seventh inning had its fair share of drama. With runners on first and second, and only one out, Summer Smith hit a rocket to Lourdes' second baseman Robyn Ryan.

Ryan caught the ball over her shoulder and retreating to the outfield grass. The Cleary runner on second, Olivia DeJohn, started taking off to third, thinking the ball wouldn't be caught. It was a foot race between DeJohn and Ryan for second base. Ryan dove with her glove out and barely tagged the base before DeJohn's foot hit the corner, ending the game on an athletic unassisted double play for the team's first conference victory of the season.

"All I was thinking was if the ball comes to me, catch the ball, get the out, and do my job," Ryan said postgame.

Game 2, W: 5-3
The Gray Wolves won the 3pm game over Cleary 5-3, completing the sweep and improving to 2-0 in conference play.

The victory marked a strong start to conference competition for Lourdes, who showed consistency and resilience across both games. With back-to-back wins over Cleary, the Gray Wolves built early momentum as they continue their conference schedule.

The Cougars struck first in the top of the first inning, putting early pressure on Lourdes. After multiple hits put runners in scoring position, Cleary capitalized on a fielder's choice by Carley Kalbfleisch, allowing Grace Polega to score and give the road squad a 1-0 lead.

Lourdes completely shifted the momentum in the bottom of the third inning with an explosive offensive performance.

After falling behind early in the game, the Gray Wolves responded with five runs on six hits, taking full advantage of defensive mistakes by Cleary. Key contributions came from Lindsey McGann and Skylar Mitchell, who both delivered RBI singles to get Lourdes on the board.

Olivia Hickman came up big with a clutch double, driving in two runs, while Cami Heath added another RBI single to extend the lead. Lourdes kept constant pressure on Cleary's defense, capitalizing on a few errors and stringing together multiple hits in the inning. By the end of the third, Lourdes had taken control of the game with a 5-1 lead.

On the pitching side, Cassi Kieper ended up throwing a 112-pitch complete game. The sophomore Siena Heights transfer worked out of multiple jams in the later innings to come away with her second victory of the season.

In the bottom half of the fourth, Lourdes recorded multiple hits, including singles from Jessyca Smith and Cami Heath, and once again put runners in scoring position. Taylor Leggins showed aggressiveness on the bases with a stolen base, but Cleary's defense managed to hold firm and escape the inning without allowing a run.

The fifth inning saw a shift in momentum as Cleary fought their way back into the game. With two outs, the Cougars' Carley Kalbfleisch delivered a clutch triple, driving in two runs and cutting the deficit to 5-3. The big hit gave Cleary new life and applied pressure on Lourdes late in the game.

With the score still 5-3, Cleary tried to mount a final rally in the top of the seventh inning. Brooke Williams led off the inning with a double, but a subsequent groundout, strikeout, and flyout ended the game with a Lourdes victory.

Next Up
Lourdes takes on Defiance for a 3pm road doubleheader on Wednesday, March 25, as conference play continues.