OTTAWA, Kan. – The Ottawa University softball team won its second straight KCAC Championship with a double header sweep of Tabor College on Tuesday afternoon at Alumni Park. It is the program's sixth conference championship. OU won game one, 3-2, and took game two, 7-6 on a walk off RBI single by Hannah Copeland.

Game One
The Braves took the early lead in the bottom of the first inning. With Allison Kearney on third, Madison Bunfill on second, and Hannah Copeland on first, Kelcie Kippes doubled to left-center. Her hit cleared the bases, giving OU a 3-0 lead.

Tabor cut into OU's lead with a run in the top of the third, 3-1. The Bluejays tried to rally in the top of the seventh, pushing one run across home plate to cut OU's lead to 3-2. But Casson Rasmussen got the final out on a fly out to left and the Braves took the 3-2 victory.

Inside the Box Score

• Kelcie Kippes, Justyse Rodriguez, and Jillian Kygar had one hit apiece for the Braves.
• Kippes led OU with three RBI.
• Casson Rasmussen pitched seven innings in the victory, striking out five.

Game Two
Ottawa broke the 0-0 tie in the bottom of the third inning. With runners on first and second, Justyse Rodriguez tripled to right, giving OU a 2-0 lead.

The Braves extended their lead over the Bluejays in the bottom of the fourth. Madison Bunfill hit her eighth home run of the season over the left field fence to give the Braves a 3-0 lead. Hannah Copeland followed that with a double to center. Kelcie Kippes scored her with a single up the middle, giving OU a 4-0 lead.

OU scored two more run in the bottom of the fifth. Rodriguez reached first on an error by the Bluejay third baseman. Allison Kearney moved her to second with a single to left. Copeland hit her second straight double, scoring both to push the Ottawa lead to 6-0.

In the top of the sixth, Tabor rallied and cut OU's lead to one run, 6-5. The Bluejays were able to tie the game in the top of the seventh, 6-6. The Braves answered in their bottom half of the inning.
Back-to-back walks by Rodriguez and Kearney led of the seventh for OU. Bunfill then laid down a bunt and beat the throw to first, loading the bases. On a 3-2 count, Copeland hits a single down the left field line, scoring Rodriguez to give the Braves the 7-6 victory.

Inside the Box Score

• Hannah Copeland had three hits in four at bats, two doubles, one game winning single, one run scored, and three RBI.
• Aliks Serna and Madison Bunfill had two hits apiece.
• Amber Flummerfelt pitched in 5.2 innings, striking out five.
• Casson Rasmussen pitched the final 1.1 innings of play, striking out one to earn her 17^th victory of the season.

Who is Next
Ottawa (30-11-1, 20-4) finishes the regular season in a non-conference double header against Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence on Saturday, April 30. Game one of the double header is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.