WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- Mount Union pitchers Rachel McAninch (West Jefferson/West Jefferson) and Bre Willis (Navarre/Fairless) did not allow an earned run on Sunday as the Purple Raider softball team swept Otterbein in an Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader.

McAninch allowed two hits in a 2-1 game one victory and then Willis followed with a five-hit shutout as Mount Union won the nightcap, 4-0.

The Raiders took an early two-run lead, which was good enough for McAninch in the opener.

Marissa Earl (Massillon/Massillon Washington) had a two-out RBI single in the second inning, giving Mount Union a 1-0 lead. She scored Alex Mayo (Greenville/Ansonia), who had reached with a double.

In the Raider third, Rachel Jesso (Mount Pleasant, Pa./Mount Pleasant) ripped a leadoff homer to put the visitors up 2-0.

Otterbein scored its only run in the fourth. After two Mount Union errors, McAninch nearly escaped a two-on, no-out jam. She recorded a strikeout and lineout, but then uncorked a run-scoring wild pitch, trimming the Raider advantage to 2-1.

The Cardinals threatened to tie in both the sixth and seventh innings.

Casey Clarridge smacked a one-out double in the Otterbein sixth, but was stranded at third by McAninch.

In the seventh, McAninch issued a leadoff walk to Kayla Woodward and then stranded Woodward's pinch-runner, Brina Sturgeon, with back-to-back, game-ending strikeouts.

McAninch, who improved to 7-4, recorded nine strikeouts and one walk.

Clarridge batted 2-for-3 for Otterbein's only two hits. She also scored the team's only run.

Kelsey Long suffered the loss in the pitcher's circle. In five innings of work, she allowed two runs on four hits, while recording five strikeouts and one walk. Reliever Chelsea Burns had two strikeouts in two hitless innings.

In game two, Shelby Carmichael (Dalton/Dalton) was the Raiders' offensive star, batting 3-for-3 with a homer and two runs scored in support of Willis.

Willis had nine strikeouts and three walks.

Carmichael connected for her round-tripper in the first inning and Mount Union led the rest of the way.

In the third, Kristen Gromes (Navarre/Fairless) worked a two-out walk and Carmichael followed with single. Earl then reached on an Otterbein error, which allowed Gromes and Carmichael to score.

The Raiders tacked on their fourth run during the seventh inning. Jill Rader (Ashland/Ashland) had a leadoff double and her pinch-runner, Yuki Hamada (Japan), scored on an RBI single by Jesso.

Willis did work out of a pickle in the seventh. Otterbein loaded the bases with one out before Willis induced two straight popouts.

Woodward and Clarridge had doubles in the game for the Cardinals, who used four different pitchers.

Mount Union will be in action next with an OAC doubleheader at John Carroll on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.

Mount Union 2, Otterbein University 1
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Mount Union......... 011 000 0 -  2  4  2      (16-9, 8-3 OAC)
Otterbein University 000 100 0 -  1  2  1      (17-10, 4-5 OAC)
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Pitchers: Mount Union - Rachel McAninch. Otterbein University - K. Long; C. Burns(6).
Win-Rachel McAninch(7-4)  Loss-K. Long(5-7)

Mount Union 4, Otterbein University 0
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Mount Union......... 102 000 1 -  4  7  2      (17-9, 9-3 OAC)
Otterbein University 000 000 0 -  0  5  1      (17-11, 4-6 OAC)
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Pitchers: Mount Union - Bre Willis. Otterbein University - K. Long; B. Sturgeon(2);
M. McMahan(4); C. Burns(7).
Win-Bre Willis(9-4)  Loss-K. Long(5-8)