WHITING, Ind. – The Olivet Nazarene University softball team pounded out 22 hits to cruise to a doubleheader sweep of Calumet Tuesday afternoon at the Whiting Sports Complex, marking their second consecutive sweep in conference play.

The Tigers wrapped out 14 hits to power their way to an 11-6 win in the opener before adding eight more hits in a 5-4 extra-inning nightcap win.

ONU opened the game with a bang behind back-to-back triples off the bats of Zoe Oshiro and Faith Mikos to score a run in just two at-bats. Allie Timm punched in a run, and Meegan Randall closed the big first inning with an RBI to have the Tigers up 3-0 early.

The Tigers tacked on runs in the third and fourth innings sandwiched between two additional three spots in the second and fifth to quickly reach double-digit runs. Kahiwa Ili capped the big game with a two-RBI double in the fifth.

Timm went the distance as the ONU starter, picking up the win while punching out eight batters and only allowing two walks in seven innings of work.

The Purple & Yellow Gold had to rally late in the finale. Calumet (8-24, 3-9 CCAC) struck first with a run in the opening frame before Mikos and Stephanie Hause plated RBIs in consecutive at-bats to take the lead in the third. However, the Crimson Wave scored a run in their half of the inning to tie the game.

CCSJ punched in two runs in the bottom of the sixth to take what seemed to be a game-clinching lead. But the Tigers clawed their way back into the game with two runs in the seventh, with Mikos scoring on an error to get within one and Ili lifting a sacrifice fly to tie the game.

In the pivotal eighth inning, Ali Fullingim roped a double to left field to get in scoring position. With two outs, Oshiro came up clutch with an RBI single to right field to score the game-winning run. Timm retired the Wave in order in the bottom half of the eighth to tack down the win, her 11th of the season. 

Behind the sweep, ONU picked up their 20th win of the season and improved to 6-4 in league play. They will look to continue their win streak with a home doubleheader against Indiana South Bend Friday.

--ONU—

*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu