BEREA, Ohio – Mount Union's softball team defeated Baldwin Wallace 8-2 in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Championship game on Saturday afternoon.

The Purple Raiders (27-12, 13-5 OAC) would strike first when junior Kendyll Cahill (Groveport / Groveport Madison) hit a solo home run to right center field to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Then, in that same inning junior Kaitlyn Culver (Girard) hit an RBI double that scored junior Lydia Brunner (Minerva) and then sophomore Kyndall Hahn (Garrettsville / James Garfield) drove in Culver with an RBI single to stretch the lead to three runs.

The Yellow Jackets (31-4, 15-1 OAC) would answer with a run in the top half of the fourth when Maddie Lester hit a solo home run to left field to cut the lead to 3-1. However, later in that same inning Mount Union would get the run back when junior Faith Reicosky (North Canton / Hoover) hit a sacrifice fly that brought in Culver and pushed the lead back to three runs.

The Raiders would add another run in the following inning when Culver hit an RBI double that scored sophomore Karlie Davis (St. Leon, Ind. / East Central) and extend the lead to four runs. Mount Union would then add three more runs in the sixth inning when Cahill hit her second home run of the day, this time a three-run shot to left field to make the lead 8-1.

Baldwin Wallace would score a run in the top of the seventh off an RBI single from Sam Peterkoski, however that is as close as they would get as the Raiders would go on to win 8-2.

Cahill got the start in the circle for Mount Union and would pitch a complete game, giving up just two runs, on five hits and struck out three.

Cahill, Mercer, Culver and Reicosky were all named to the All-Tournament Team for their performances over the weekend.

The win earns the Raiders an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament, they will find out who and where they play when the NCAA Tournament Selection Shows airs on Monday, May 12 at 11 a.m.