ALBION -- On Senior Day, the Albion College softball team stole the show in two big wins over Olivet College. Albion won the first game, 7-0, before crushing 23 hits in the nightcap en route to a 15-3 win.

KEY STATS

Olivia Palasek: 7 for 9, 6 RBI
Grace Connolly: 5 for 7, 7 RBI
Skyler Herman: 4 for 9, 4 RBI

GAME ONE: Albion 7 Olivet 0

Sophomore Ashley Pion (5-4) was dominant in the circle for the Britons, throwing seven scoreless innings while striking out 10 hitters. She allowed just two hits while walking none in the win.

The Britons scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the second. Shanyn Jewell led off the frame with a walk and stole second. After advancing to third on a fly out, Jewell came around to score on a two out triple off the bat of Felicia Maximiuk.

Albion tacked on an unearned run in the third when Herman blooped a single to left center, driving in Palasek.

In the bottom of the fifth, Herman crushed a two-run homer to left on a line drive, boosting the lead to 4-0. She also drove in Connolly who drew a one out walk.

Albion got three insurance runs in the home half of the sixth. Willow Montague's lead off walk was followed two batters later by a Kenadie Baareman single. After the pair advanced on a passed ball, a slow rolling infield single by Palasek allowed Montague to score for a 5-0 lead. Two batters later, Connolly added to her senior day stat line with a two run single up the middle.

GAME TWO: Albion 15 Olivet 3 (6 innings)

In the nightcap, Palasek and Connolly had five RBI each as the Britons earned the run rule victory.

Batting as the visitors, three straight singles from Baareman, Palasek and Lauren Beougher loaded the bases for Connolly. The senior smoked a double to the wall in left center, clearing the bases giving the Brits a quick 3-0 lead.

After a Jewell single through the 5-6 hole, Mickala Signor grounded out to second for a 4-0 lead after the top of the first.

Connolly led off the third with a triple to right center and scored on a Herman single up the middle for a 5-0 advantage.

The Britons scratched across a pair of runs in the fourth. Baareman led off the inning with a single through the left side and scored on a Palasek double. Connolly later drove in Palasek on another extra base hit, giving Albion a 7-0 lead through three and a half.

All three Olivet runs came in the bottom of the fourth off Pion. The Comets scored three runs off four hits with no errors, but the Britosn quickly erased the work the Comets put in.

Hits by Maximiuk and Baareman to lead off the fifth put two runners aboard to the hot-swinging Palasek. With one swing of the bat, the sophomore gave Albion those three runs back with a deep home run to left center, increasing the lead to 10-3.

Albion added five runs in the sixth off five hits. Jewell walked and moved to second on a Lilly Patillo single. Olivia Polak drew a walk, loading the bases for Maximiuk. The senior roped a single down the left field line, driving in Jewell. Baareman followed by lifting a sac fly to center, pushing the Brits ahead 12-3.

Another Palasek single drove in Polak, and Beougher joined with an RBI single. Connolly capped off the scoring with a base hit to left center.

The Comets went down in order in the home half of the sixth, as Madison Potter flew out to senior Hope Morrissey in right to fittingly cap off the Senior Day sweep.

Pion (6-4) earned the win, tossing 3.2 innings and allowing just three runs. Melanie Cosens was solid in relief, throwing 2.1 shutout innings.

EXTRA BASES

Albion improves to 9-9 overall, 3-5 in the rugged MIAA.

Pion is now tied for third in the MIAA with six wins. She is also second in the conference with 67 strikeouts.

Prior to game one, the Britons honored their six seniors -- Maximiuk, Beougher, Connolly, Morrissey, Herman and Estacia Martinez. Despite being injured, Martinez threw out the first pitch in her Senior Day.

UP NEXT

Albion will travel to Alma on Friday as part of the next MIAA Triangular. The Brits will play Olivet at 2 p.m. followed by the Scots at 4 p.m.