Posted April 1, 2006
By: Leonard Reich, Sports Information Director
Long Ball Helps and Hurts Capital
Capital 8, Ohio Northern 7 [Box Score]
Ohio Northern 6, Capital 4 (8 inn.) [Box Score]
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)--A home run won one game and lost another as the Capital University softball team split a pair of Ohio Athletic Conference games Wednesday against Ohio Northern University in Columbus.

Capital won the opener 8-7 on a walk-off home run by sophomore Erin Willeke (Newark/Licking Valley). 

Capital held a 3-0 lead after four innings, before Ohio Northern plated a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth to take a 4-3 lead.  The Crusaders came back in the bottom half of the sixth with three runs, two coming on a double from Maureen Bickley (Port Clinton/Port Clinton) to lead 6-4 heading into the final inning.  In the seventh, Ohio Northern scored three runs on two hits and took advantage of a Capital error to retake the lead, 7-6.  Jackie Burris (Beach Park, Ill./Warren Township) led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk, then two at-bats later Willeke delivered the game-winner.

The Crusaders took an early lead again in game two scoring twice in the opening frame.  Matti McFarlin homered in the second inning to bring the Polar Bears within a run, 2-1.  Ohio Northern tied the game in fifth on an RBI single from Jamie Drees.  The game went to extra innings when Ohio Northern led off the eighth with a home run from Jessica Headings then padded their lead taking advantage of a pair of Capital errors to score three more runs for a 6-2 lead.  Willeke hit her second home run of the day a two-run shot in the bottom of the frame, but the rally stopped their and Ohio Northern went on to the 6-4 win.

Capital stands at 11-10-1 overall and 2-2 in the OAC after the split, while Ohio Northern is 6-12 and 1-5 in the OAC.

Capital travels to No. 6 in the nation and OAC-rival Muskingum College Saturday at 1 p.m. in New Concord.