ADA, Ohio -- The Mount Union softball team was eliminated from the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament with a 14-7 loss to Ohio Northern on Saturday.

The Purple Raiders (20-17) were unable to overcome a nine-run deficit. They pulled within five runs on three different occasions, but could not close the gap any further.

A three-run homer by Mara Palombaro (Boardman/Cardinal Mooney) highlighted Mount Union's biggest inning -- a four-run third.

Kristen Gromes (Navarre/Fairless) led off the frame with a walk and Marissa Earl (Massillon/Massillon Washington) reached with an error, setting the stage for an RBI single by Shelby Carmichael (Dalton/Dalton) and then Palombaro's bomb.

The Raiders added single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

During the fifth, Sarah Woody (Uniontown/Green) plated Alex Mayo (Greenville/Ansonia) with an RBI double.

In the sixth, Rachel Jesso (Mount Pleasant, Pa./Mount Pleasant) reached with a double and scored on a single by Earl.

The Raiders' final run was set up by a double from Mayo. She moved to third on a single by Rachel McAninch (West Jefferson/West Jefferson) and scored on a single by Haley Martinelli (Austintown/Austintown Fitch).

Mayo finished with two doubles in four at-bats. Jesso also was 2-for-4.

McAninch suffered the loss. She started in the circle and added a relief stint, finishing with three innings pitched, four strikeouts and two walks. Of the nine runs scored against her, only three were earned.

The Polar Bears took the lead on Michelle Sweet's two-run home run in the second. In the third, they exploded for seven runs -- three on a homer by Jackie Mangola and then three on a triple by Christin Miller.

Sweet batted 5-for-5 with three runs and four RBIs. Miller added a 4-for-5 game with two runs and three RBIs while Kimi Blewett doubled twice.

Katy Newman was the winning pitcher. She threw five innings in relief, finishing with five strikeouts.

Ohio Northern (26-11) moves to the championship game against Baldwin-Wallace and the Bears by virtue of OAC rule get the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after winning the regular season title.

Ohio Northern 14, Mount Union 7 (May 07, 2011 at Ada, Ohio)
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Ohio Northern....... 027 011 3 - 14 20  2      (26-11)
Mount Union......... 004 011 1 -  7 10  2      (20-17)
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Pitchers: Ohio Northern - Lauren Hurd; Katy Newman(3) and Kimi Blewett. Mount Union -
Rachel McAninch; Bre Willis(4); Sarah Woody(5); Brittany Mayo(6) and Mara Palombaro.
Win-Katy Newman(6-2)  Loss-Rachel McAninch(10-7)  T-2:23  A-117
HR ONU - Jackie Mangola (19); Michelle Sweet (1).
HR MTU - Mara Palombaro (5).
Hurd faced 4 batters in the 3rd.
Willis faced 2 batters in the 5th.