Round Up: The Tigers End the Season With Two Wins and Two Losses

Erin Collinsworth

The 2005 Wittenberg softball team had a week of mixed blessings to round out the season.

A doubleheader sweep on Senior Day at Betty Dillahunt Field over visiting Oberlin on Saturday pushed the Tigers' over .500 in the North Coast Athletic Conference at 7-6. However, the Tigers' wound up one-half game short of the four-team NCAC Tournament, missing out thanks to a rainout at Kenyon on April 20. The season concluded with a pair of losses to visiting Capital on Tuesday that pushed the Tigers' overall record to a season-ending 11-24.

Against Oberlin, the final scores were 15-0 and 8-2 in favor of the Tigers.

Wittenberg came out swinging and buried the Yeowomen almost immediately in Game 1. Three runs were scored in the first inning, six more in the second, one in the fourth and five scores in the fourth rounded things out. On the other hand, freshman Taryn Hensel (Marion, Ohio/Ridgedale) was taking care of business in the pitchers' circle for the Tigers, scattering just three hits en route to a complete-game (five inning) victory.

Offensively, the Tigers had many standouts, starting with sophomore Erin Collinsworth (Springfield, Ohio/Catholic Central), who went 3-for-4 with three runs batted in and her first collegiate home run. In addition, sophomore Stephanie Zorn (Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville) added a 3-for-3 performance with three runs scored.

In Game 2, senior Norah Gillam (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) allowed a pair of unearned runs in the first inning before settling down to allow just two hits the rest of the game. The Tigers again had their hitting shoes on, pounding out 13 more hits, including three for senior Ashley Lands (Dover, Ohio/Dover) and two each for Zorn, Collinsworth and freshman Sarah Fetters (Maumee, Ohio/Maumee). Zorn's five hits in seven plate appearances Saturday.

Against Capital, the final scores were 5-3 and 5-1.

In the opener, Gillam took the pitching loss, allowing seven hits, two walks and four earned runs (of five scored). It was her 16th appearance of the season, all starts, and her 14th complete game. She led the Tigers with a respectable 3.11 earned run average. Offensively, the Tigers managed seven hits off Capital pitching, led by Collinsworth and freshman Amy Myser (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) with multi-hit games.

In Game 2, Hensel started and worked 6.2 innings before giving way to Gillam, who got the final out in her final appearance in the home Red & White. Hensel allowed 10 hits and one walk but just three earned runs (of five total). Offensively, the Tigers scratched out just three hits, with their lone run coming in the first as Zorn drove in Lands in the bottom of the first inning.