Cedarville softball looking to get on a roll in G-MAC play

by Jacob Bentley

In sports and in life it is hard into a rhythm. It’s even harder to get back into one. Well, that’s what the Cedarville Lady Jackets softball team did March 23 with a 3-2 victory over Findlay in the second game of a doubleheader.

The Lady Jackets started the season hot with seven victories in their first eight games. Not only that, but on March 13, the Lady Jackets were ranked the 19th best softball team in NCAA Division II. That’s the highest they have been ranked.

Then on March 16 things got a little rough for Cedarville when it lost both games of a doubleheader to 10th-ranked Grand Valley State 1-0 and 10-0.

March 19 was no better for the Jackets as they lost another doubleheader to a conference rival in Ohio Dominican, 6-0 and 9-1. After a 13-3 start, the Yellow Jackets suddenly found themselves with a record of 15-7. Four straight tough losses for the Jackets. They needed to find their rhythm again.

The Jackets had a chance to do just that March 23, against another conference rival in Findlay. Findlay came in to the day with a record of 10-12. This was the Yellow Jackets chance to get back on track and build some momentum with less than 6 weeks until the conference tournament on May 2.

In the first game, Cedarville started with a quick 1-0 lead at the end of the first inning. This was thanks to second basemen Heather Lord, who stole home. The Jackets would hold the lead until the sixth inning when Findlay took a 2-1 lead. The Jackets had a chance to regain the lead in the bottom of the sixth but left two runners on base.

The second game provided some hope for the Lady Jackets as a chance to get things back on track. However, things did not start well as Findlay got the first run in the top of the first. But the Jackets rallied to a 1-1 tie when Sarah Parsons reached base and later scored..

In the bottom of the fourth, the Jackets once again were able to go on the offensive with four hits Catcher Kara Eiginger led the bottom of the inning off with a double. Parsons would once again be able to get on base. Eiginger would get out on third, but Parsons and pitcher Morgan Arbogast would score to put the Jackets up 3-1.

Arbogast was the other star as she came in to relieve Kacey Smith, who had been struggling with an injury, in the top of the sixth. Arbogast closed out the game with five strikeouts in two innings to shut down the Oilers and give the Jackets their first win in five games.

Both Arbogast and Parsons provided a spark for the Yellow Jackets as the team comes down the final stretch of the season. With the win the Yellow Jackets are hopeful to build on the momentum to get back to their winning ways.

Since the Findlay win, the Yellow Jackets split a doubleheader. They enter conference doubleheaders this week at Walsh and Malone at 17-9 and 3-3 in the G-MAC.