Tigers Off To First 4-0 Start In Fastpitch Era

CAPE CORAL, Fla. – The Wittenberg softball team has matched its best start ever with four straight wins, the latest coming Tuesday against Wartburg, 7-3, and Regis, 11-7, in the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic.

In the fastpitch history of the program, the 4-0 start sets a new benchmark. The Tigers started the 1983 season 4-0 under the direction of Caroline Zimmerman in 1983 before making the move to fastpitch in 1985.

The two wins on Tuesday required some work, as the Tigers found themselves trailing against Wartburg in the first game and tied late in the second game against Regis.

Against Wartburg, the Tigers trailed 2-1 coming to bat in the bottom of the third inning when a four-run rally broke out. It started with a single by freshman Loren Combs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Turpin) that turned into a run when the third baseman overthrew first, and Combs came all the way around to score as the ball rolled into right field.

A Wartburg fielding error allowed freshman Shannon Lance (Loveland, Ohio/Kings) to reach, and a single off the bat of junior Laura Rose (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) moved Lance to second before the two executed a double steal and Lance came home on a sacrifice fly by junior Kaitie Harrison (Springfield, Ohio/Kenton Ridge). Junior Rachel Ross (Westerville, Ohio/South) doubled Rose in and scored on a passed ball to complete the rally.

The Tigers never trailed again, and for the game, Ross finished 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored, a walk and two RBIs, her second coming on the first Tiger home run of the season. Lance finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two stolen bases, while Rose was 2-for-4 with an RBI triple.

Ross' game was even more impressive considering her efforts in the circle. She pitched all seven innings, fanning a career-high 11 batters while allowing three runs, two earned, on eight hits and just one walk.

Game Two featured more drama, as the team's both put up four-run second innings and two-run thirds, entering the fifth inning tied at six. Wittenberg posted a run in the fifth on a double by freshman Kaela Hughes (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson), but Regis answered with a run in the top of the sixth.

The Tigers posted their second four-run inning of the game and third of the day in the sixth to break things open. The sequence started with a leadoff triple for freshman Aubrey Mendez (St. Louisville, Ohio/Utica), who scored on a Lance single in the next at bat. After a Rose single and stolen bases for Lance and Rose, Harrison hit into a fielder's choice that crossed out Lance but scored Rose. Ross single her way aboard and sophomore Ashlee Wright (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) drove in Harrison and Ross with a single up the middle to finish the rally.

Sophomore Julia Williams (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South), who relieved Hughes as the pitcher in the third, allowed a hit in the top of the seventh but kept Regis from mounting a rally of their own with back-to-back strikeouts and a game-ending fly out to right field.

Williams took the win on five innings of work, in which she allowed three runs, two earned, on four strikeouts, seven hits and two walks. Hughes started the game and went two innings, allowing four runs but only one earned on one strikeout, one walk and two hits.

For the day, Lance finished 5-for-8, while Ross was 7-for-4 with four runs scored and Hughes was 3-for-6. Hughes and Ross both posted two extra-base hits.

The Tigers have an off day on Wednesday before resuming the Cusic Classic against Dominican (Ill.) at 9 a.m. on Thursday, followed by a matchup with Newbury at 1 p.m., both contests taking place at the Cape Coral Softball Complex.

John Strawn '07