LYNCHBURG, Va. – Led by a couple of clutch hits from Natalie Alvarez, the Ohio softball team (40-16) opened play at the 2017 National Invitational Softball Championships with a commanding 5-1 win over Iona (27-23) Tuesday afternoon at the Liberty Softball Field. The win gave Ohio its 40th win of the season, setting a new program record for wins in a single season.
Iona would get the first hit of the game in the top of the first inning when leadoff batter Ashlyn Morris reached first on an infield single. She would then move to second on a sacrifice bunt from Marisa Gergel, putting her in scoring position.