Posted April 1, 2006
By: Scott Miles, Sports Information Assistant
Crusaders Split With Blue Streaks In OAC Opener
John Carroll 4, Capital 2 [Box Score]
Capital 10, John Carroll 5 [Box Score]
(UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio)-- Capital University's softball team opened the Ohio Athletic Conference season by splitting a doubleheader with John Carroll University Saturday in University Heights, Ohio.

The Crusaders dropped the first game 4-2. Capital tallied its two runs in the second as senior Maureen Bickley (Port Clinton/Port Clinton) and freshman Tiffany Reed (Sandusky/Sandusky) scored on an error, giving the Crusaders a 2-1 lead.

However, the Blue Streaks rallied with a run in the bottom of the second and two more in the fifth. Sophomore Erin Willeke (Newark/Licking Valley) took the loss for Capital, allowing three earned runs in four and 1/3 innings. Sophomore Lindsay Shepherd (Phillipsburg/Northmont) went 2-for-3 at the plate.

In the second game, a 10-5 Crusaders victory, Capital took advantage of four Blue Streak errors in the first inning and jumped out to a 6-0 lead. The Crusaders tacked on two more runs in the third inning behind the strength of junior Jen Heidenreich's (Xenia/Xenia) home run and Shepherd's RBI single, and added two more runs in the fifth.

Heidenreich picked up the win for Capital and Willeke recorded the save. Shepherd went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and Heidenreich went 2-for-3 and also scored two runs.

Capital's record is now 10-9-1 (1-1 OAC) and plays its home opener at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday against Ohio Northern University.