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Contact: Tim Ertle

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PEPPER PIKE, Ohio – The Ursuline College softball team knocked off neighborhood rival John Carroll University by a score of 4-2 on Tuesday (April 21) afternoon.

The win snapped Ursuline's 17-game losing skid. UC is now 8-22 overall while JCU dipped to 20-15.

John Carroll got to UC freshman pitcher Gina Rosshirt for a run in the top of the first but then UC's rookie hurler really settled down.

Rosshirt's teammates picked her up with a run in the home half of the second to tie the game at one. With two down and runners at the corners, head coach Sue Woodford sent sophomore Taylor Test on a steal of second base. When the throw went through, sophomore Brigitte Snow raced home to tie the game.

The Arrows knocked down the door with a three-run fifth that gave Rosshirt more than enough run support.

Freshman Briana Benge started the fifth by reaching on an error by the pitcher AnnMarie Kirchner and JCU's hurler K'd the next two hitters so she should have been out of the inning. Test, who re-entered and pinch ran for Benge, stole second and then advanced to third when senior Sam Roberts singled to center.

Sophomore Carly Hoffner came through in the clutch with a two-out, two-run double to right that scored both Test and Roberts. Freshman BJ Thomas ran for Hoffner and scored from second on sophomore Kaitlin Krajcik's single to right. Krajcik has now reached base safely in 11 straight games.

JCU got a run back in the sixth on two hits and a walk but the Blue Streaks stranded two.

Rosshirt faced three batters in the seventh – although one reached, stole second and was then tagged out after over-sliding – to preserve the victory which was her second of the year.

She pitched all seven innings and allowed four hits while walking a pair. Rosshirt also struck out a career-high nine while earning her first career victory at home.

Kirchner (9-7) took the loss for JCU despite not allowing an earned run. She pitched three innings in relief of starter Rachel Byrnes who allowed just one earned run in her three innings.

The Arrows will conclude the 2015 season with a three-game series this weekend against Ohio Valley University. UC and OVU will play two games on Friday (April 24) with game one starting at 3:30 p.m. The season will finish with Saturday's (April 25) game that is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m.

Max Radigan will call all three games on the Ursuline College Sports Network.