UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Mount Union's softball team split a doubleheader with Ohio Athletic Conference opponent John Carroll on Thursday, winning game one 5-3 before coming up short in a 4-3 game-two final.

In the opener, Jill Rader (Ashland/Ashland) batted 2-for-3 with a homer and two runs scored for the Raiders while Rachel McAninch (West Jefferson/West Jefferson) earned the complete-game win.

McAninch allowed one earned run on nine hits while recording two strikeouts and two walks.

Mount Union opened the scoring in the first inning with a sacrifice fly by Mara Palombaro (Boardman/Cardinal Mooney). Shelby Carmichael (Dalton/Dalton), who reached base with a one-out double, moved to third on a single by Alex Mayo (Greenville/Ansonia) before scoring on Palombaro's flyout.

John Carroll tied the game in its half of the first on an RBI single by Erin Riccardi.

The Purple Raiders snapped the 1-all deadlock with a three-run second inning and led the rest of the way.

Rader and McAninch had consecutive singles and ended up on second and third, respectively, with one out. A two-out walk to Kristen Gromes (Navarre/Fairless) loaded the bases and then the visitors plated three straight runs without a hit.

Carmichael reached on an error, which allowed Rader to score; Mayo drew a walk to plate McAninch; and a wild pitch helped Gromes touch the dish as Mount Union snagged a 4-1 advantage.

The Raider lead grew to 5-1 in the third when Rader smashed her home run.

The Blue Streaks came back with two runs in their third inning, both coming in on a Mount Union error, but could not shrink the gap any more.

Riccardi had a 3-for-4 game for John Carroll while Samantha Becker and Angela Vistocco were 2-for-4.

Brittany Danilov suffered the loss in the circle, allowing two earned runs on seven hits. She had six strikeouts and five walks.

In game two, a pair of two-run dingers helped John Carroll compile a 4-0 lead before the hosts held off a late Purple Raider charge.

Down to Mount Union's final out, Rachel Jesso (Mount Pleasant, Pa./Mount Pleasant) singled and Gromes doubled to set up a three-run homer by Carmichael.

At that point, JCU starting pitcher Trisha Pike was lifted in favor of reliever Morgan Robinson, who struck out Mayo to end the game.

The Streaks went ahead on Mackenzie Griffin's two-run bomb in the first inning and expanded the lead on a two-run shot by Danilov in the fourth.

Pike finished with 6 2/3 innings pitched and allowed three runs on six hits while striking out seven batters and walking three.

Bre Willis (Navarre/Fairless) tossed six innings for Mount Union and was tacked with the loss. She gave up four runs on five hits while recording six strikeouts and one walk.

The Raiders will be in action next on Saturday when they host Capital for a 1 p.m. OAC twinbill.

Mount Union 5, John Carroll 3
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mount Union......... 131 000 0 -  5  7  2      (18-11, 10-3 OAC)
John Carroll........ 102 000 0 -  3  9  1      (20-9, 8-3 OAC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Mount Union - Rachel McAninch and Mara Palombaro. John Carroll - Danilov and Griffin.
Win-Rachel McAninch(8-4)  Loss-Danilov(13-6)
HR MTU - Jill Rader.

John Carroll 4, Mount Union 3
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mount Union......... 000 000 3 -  3  6  0      (18-12, 10-4 OAC)
John Carroll........ 200 200 X -  4  5  0      (21-9, 9-3 OAC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Mount Union - Bre Willis and Mara Palombaro. John Carroll - Pike; Robinson(7) and
Griffin.
Win-Pike(7-2)  Save-Robinson(2)  Loss-Bre Willis(9-6)
HR MTU - Shelby Carmichael.
HR JCU - Griffin; Danilov.