NORTH CANTON , Ohio – Facing a familiar foe in the University of Rio Grande in their loser's bracket game in the NAIA Region IX/X Tournament on Thursday, the Ohio Dominican softball team knew they faced an uphill battle against the Redwomen. ODU had dropped three of their four games versus the Redwomen in the regular season and split the AMC South Division crown with Rio Grande, but a neutral site-Hoover Park in North Canton, Ohio, home of the Walsh Cavaliers-and a bigger payoff offered a new hope for a Panther victory. But the overcast sky above reflected the final outcome as Rio Grande ended the Panthers' season with a 4-0 verdict.

Redwoman pitcher Miranda Laws, like she had twice in the regular season, handcuffed the Panthers. ODU managed to break Laws just three times as Jennifer Baker ( Cortland , OH ), Amanda Ritzler ( Tiffin , OH ) and Katalin Beck ( Granville , OH ) each collected a single. Laws struck out five ODU batters in the complete game shutout victory.  more

The Panther really only threatened to break the shutout in the top half of the sixth inning. With two outs, Ritzler and Beck collected back-to-back singles. Muriel Kelley ( Ocala , FL ) loaded the bases as she reached courtesy of an interference call on Rio Grande catcher Whitney Harless.  But ODU failed to capitalize as Shana Etter popped up to the shortstop to end the inning. The Panthers stranded a total of seven runners for the game.

Rio Grande (27-16) opened the scoring in the second as Harless led off the inning with a line-drive home run to center off ODU starter Petra Jones (Saline, MI). The Redwomen doubled their lead in the next frame when Mimi Mahon doubled to left to score Jessica Ross. Rio Grande doubled their lead again in the fifth when Brittany Creviston laced a double down the left field line to plate a pair of runs.

Ross continued her customary role as a thorn in the collective side of the Panthers as she went 2-for-2 with a pair of runs scored and a stolen base.

Ohio Dominican caps the 2008 season with an overall mark of 22-30. The Panthers added a conference/division championship to their mantle for the eighth consecutive season, three of those belonging outright to ODU and five co-championships. Ohio Dominican and Rio Grande also split the 2006 South Division title.

COLUMBUS , Ohio – The Ohio Dominican softball team defeated Mount Vernon Nazarene University , 3-2, in their opening round game of the NAIA Region IX/X Tournament on Wednesday, but fell to the No. 1 Seed Walsh in another one run affair.   Walsh sent ODU to the loser's bracket after taking the fifth game of the tournament, 2-1.

The Panthers used three early runs in the opening game of the tournament to hold off a scrappy Mount Vernon squad.   The win for the Panthers is the fifth of the season over the Cougars with all five wins coming by a single score.     more

Ohio Dominican got on the board in the bottom of the first inning after junior second basemen Amanda Ritzler (Tiffin , OH; pictured) doubled with two outs.   Senior shortstop Katalin Beck (Granville , OH) followed that up with an RBI single to center to give the home team a 1-0 advantage.   ODU chalked up two more in the second when Sarah Burt (Columbus , OH) and Sarah Rante (Canton , OH) led off the inning with back-to-back singles.   Following a strikeout, freshman Jessica Carey (Everett , WA) came up big with a single to right field to score both Burt and Rante for a 3-0 lead.  

Mount Vernon chipped away at the lead plating a run in the fifth and sixth innings, but ODU starter Petra Jones (Saline, MI) put the clamps on the Cougars to earn her eighth win of the season.   Jones went the distance allowing two runs on four hits, while fanning four.

In game five of the tournament, the Panthers were on the losing end of another one run game.   It was again ODU that struck first as Danielle Larson (Bellefontaine , OH) led off the game with a hit and was pushed around for the games first run.   The top seeded Cavaliers managed to tie the game in the fourth inning thanks to a pair of singles and a pass ball.   Walsh would get the game winner on a solo home run by Brittany Sostre in the bottom of the sixth.  

The Panthers were held to just five hits in the game, with Larson going 2-for-4.   Maria Staton (New Bremen, OH) would suffer the loss after tossing 5 2/3 innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits.

ODU drops to the loser's bracket on Thursday, May 8^th as they face No. 2 seed the University of Rio Grande .   Game eight of the regional tournament is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in Canton , Ohio .

COLUMBUS, OH – The No. 4 seeded Ohio Dominican softball team will play in the opening game of the NAIA Region IX Softball Tournament this Wednesday, May 7 at 10 a.m. versus divisional rival and No. 5 seeded Mount Vernon Nazarene University at the Walsh University Softball Field in Canton, Ohio .

The Panthers (21-28, 14-6 AMC South Division) swept the Cougars (30-16, 17-9 AMC ) in their four game series earlier this season on April 15 and 22.   ODU defeated Mount Vernon 3-2 and 5-4 in the first meeting and completed the four game sweep with a 6-5 and 5-4 victories in their second meeting.  more

The winner of the opening game will face top seeded Walsh University at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7 in game five of the tournament.   The loser will move on to the 3 p.m. loser's bracket game versus the loser of Notre Dame College and Point Park on Thursday, May 8.   

COLUMBUS , Ohio – In their final regular season game of the year the Ohio Dominican softball team split a pair of divisional games with Shawnee State University on Saturday afternoon in Portsmouth , Ohio .   The Panthers held on for a 3-2 ten inning affair in game one and dropped the nightcap 9-1 to the host Bears.

Ohio Dominican manufactured the first run of the game when Danielle Larson ( Bellefontaine , OH ) led off the game with a bunt single in the first inning and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Amanda Ritzler ( Tiffin , OH ).   Ritzler struck again in the seventh inning to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead thanks to her second homer run of the season.   The error bug showed its ugly face in the bottom of the seventh inning for the Panthers as two errors led to two runs for the Bears to send the game into extra inning.     more

In the extra frame ODU turned to Erica Sutter (Mansfield, OH) who came on in relief for starter Petra Jones (Saline, MI).   Sutter shut down the Bears offense allowing just one hit and got the win.   Late inning heroics continued for the Panthers as senior Sarah Burt ( Columbus , OH ) led off the 10^th inning with a solo shot that gave ODU the 3-2 victory.

Larson finished the day with two hits.   Ritzler added two RBI's and Burt game winning blast accounted for all the Panthers runs.

In game two, the ODU offense was shut down by Shawnee State 's Katie Daniels.   The Panthers managed just one run on four hits in the lopsided affair.   Ritzler continued to swing a hot bat as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI.  

Freshman hurler Maria Staton (New Bremen, OH) suffered the loss for the Panthers after tossing 4 1/3 innings and allowing three runs on four hits.