ADA, Ohio -- Mount Union's softball team split a pair of Ohio Athletic Conference games Saturday at Ohio Northern in Ada.  The Purple Raiders fell 9-6 in the opener then came back and posted a 2-0 shut out in game two.

The split makes Mount Union 19-13 overall and at 11-5 in the OAC clinch a spot in next week's four-team OAC Tournament.  It will be the fourth straight and 20th overall tournament appearance for the Raiders.

Ohio Northern (22-10, 12-4 OAC) used the long ball to score a 9-6 win in game one.  The Polar Bears hit three home runs including a three-run shot by Jackie Mangola in the fifth that extended a 6-3 ONU lead to 9-3 and gave her a school-record 14th home run on the season.

Senior Mara Palombaro (Boardman/Cardinal Mooney) drove in two runs and freshman Shelby Carmichael (Dalton/Dalton) along with sophomores Marissa Earl (Massillon/Massillon Washington) and Rachel Jesso (Mount Pleasant, Pa./Mount Pleasant) all had two hits at the plate for Mount Union.

The win allows Ohio Northern to take the regular season title and host the OAC Tournament with a pair of wins against Wilmington on Sunday.

Mount Union shut down the Ohio Northern bats in game two as sophomore Rachel McAninch (West Jefferson/West Jefferson) held the Polar Bears to just six hits and shut them out for only the second time this season in a 2-0 victory.

McAninch helped her own cause as she started the fifth inning with a triple then scored on an RBI single from freshman Sarah Woody (Uniontown/Green).  Woody would later score on an RBI single from Jesso to give the Raiders their two runs.

Mount Union is scheduled to wrap up the regular season Sunday at 1 pm at home against Capital in an OAC doubleheader.

Ohio Northern 9, Mount Union 6 (Apr 30, 2011 at Ada, Ohio) (Game 1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mount Union......... 000 303 0 -  6 11  1      (18-13, 10-5 OAC)
Ohio Northern....... 050 400 X -  9  8  2      (22-9, 12-3 OAC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Mount Union - Bre Willis and Mara Palombaro. Ohio Northern - Abbey Bensing;
Katy Newman(5) and Kimi Blewett.
Win-Abbey Bensing(5-0)  Save-Katy Newman(2)  Loss-Bre Willis(9-7)  T-1:47  A-116
HR ONU - Jackie Mangola (14); Ashley Sujkowski (3); Katy Newman (1).

Mount Union 2, Ohio Northern 0 (Apr 30, 2011 at Ada, Ohio) (Game 2)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mount Union......... 000 020 0 -  2  6  3      (19-13, 11-5 OAC)
Ohio Northern....... 000 000 0 -  0  6  0      (22-10, 12-4 OAC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Mount Union - Rachel McAninch and Mara Palombaro. Ohio Northern - Maggie Molnar;
Lauren Hurd(5) and Kimi Blewett.
Win-Rachel McAninch(9-4)  Loss-Maggie Molnar(5-4)  T-1:44  A-116
Molnar faced 2 batters in the 5th.