Posted April 19, 2006
By: Ray Lee, Sports Information Assistant
Crusaders Drop Two to Otterbein
Otterbein 2, Capital 1 (12 innings) [Box Score]
Otterbein 8, Capital 1 [Box Score]
(COLUMBUS, Ohio)-- Capital University's softball team dropped a pair of games to their cross-town and Ohio Athletic Conference rival, Otterbein College, 2-1 in the first game and 8-1 in the second on Wednesday at Clowson Field.

Capital's record is now 15-16-1 overall, 4-8 in OAC play, while Otterbein moves to 14-12 overall and 7-5 in the OAC.

Senior Jen Heidenreich (Xenia/Xenia) pitched eight shutout innings in game one, as Capital took Otterbein into extra frames with the score tied at 0-0.

With Otterbein leading 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth, senior Mandy Sladoje (Lancaster/Lancaster) earned her team-leading third hit of the night in the form of a lead-off single.  Sophomore Erin Willeke (Newark/Licking Valley) moved Sladoje to second and senior Lisa Tubbs (Hudson, Ind/Praire Heights) singled to bring Sladoje home and tie the game at one.

After two more scoreless innings, Otterbein took a 2-1 lead in the ninth, where the game would end.

In game two, Otterbein took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second.  In the bottom of the third, Tubbs got on base with a lead-off single.  Two batters later, senior Cortney Bastian (Brookville/Brookville) singled for her third hit of the night and scored Tubbs to cut the lead to 2-1.  Otterbein would earn insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings, winning the game 8-1.

Capital will host Mount Union in a double header on Saturday, April 22 at 1 p.m. at Clowson Field.