Box Scores:  Game 1 vs. Otterbein  /  Game 2 vs. Otterbein

Pulling off a sweep is often its own reward, but the John Carroll softball team reaped some additional benefits from its sweep oif Otterbein College Wednesday afternoon at Bracken Field in University Heights.

In a meeting between the fifth and seventh place teams in the Ohio Athletic Conference, John Carroll dramatically improved its postseason hopes by winning both games of the twinbill, 4-2 and 9-4.

The victories not only levelled John Carroll's season record at 14-14 -- this after a 2-11 start -- but also raised the Blue Streaks' conference ledger to 8-4 and forged a tie for fourth place in the league standings with Capital.

Otterbein led for a majority of the first game, as a solo home run by Felicia Vermaaten in the top of the third inning stood until the bottom of the fifth inning.

With a runner on third and two out, pinch hitter Jenny Eden ripped a shot down the third base line that caught the body of Cardinal third baseman Janelle Jones. She could not recover from the line drive to get either Eden at first or base runner Staci Ziobert at home plate to prevent the tying run from scoring. Jones would have to leave the game

Jones' departure seemed to lead a defensive implosion by the Cardinals in the sixth inning as JCU would score three times -- benefitting largely from two errors -- to take the lead for good. Sam Thompson singled to lead off the frame, after which Bethany Bachman reached on an error. Two batters and one out later, Laura Boselovic would reach on a fielder's choice that should have resulted in the second out of the inning, but an error on a force play at third base would load the bases.

Ziobert would make the Cardinals pay, as she sent a line drive down the left field line to score both Bachman and Angela Vistocco. Tricia Kuenzig would drive in the final run when she slapped an infield single to score Boselovic from third.

Thompson pitched a complete game victory to improve to 8-8 on the year. She allowed two runs on six hits and struck out three while walking just one.

The Blue Streaks threatened to run away with game two. JCU got to Otterbein starter Brooke Stull for three runs in the first and two more in the second for a 5-0 lead.

The Cardinals, however, would score three runs in the fourth on a three-run homer run by Lauren Tibjash, and then tacked on one more run in the top of the sixth inning to pull to within a single run.

Drama would come to an end in the bottom of the sixth, however. Jamie Smrdel hit a one-out two run home run (her fifth of the year and the school-record 22nd of her career) to up the JCU lead to 7-4. The Blue Streaks then added a run on a wild pitch and another on a Jenn Nairne RBI single to conclude the scoring.

Ashley Lippert won her fourth game of the year in relief, allowing just one run on three hits, and striking out four while walking none in 3 2.3 innings of work.