Tigers Sweep Another Doubleheader After First Game Thriller

Springfield, OH - Wittenberg Softball welcomed Ohio Christian University to Betty Doughman Dillahunt field for a doubleheader on a chilly but sunny April day at Wittenberg. The Tigers took game one in 10 low-scoring innings by a 3-2 score and followed that with an 8-5 win in game two. After the two wins, Wittenberg's season record improves to 18-4, while the Trailblazers fall to 6-16 on the season.

In game one, both teams were scoreless for the first seven innings of the game. In the circle, Julie Hall (Powell, OH / Bishop Watterson) threw five scoreless innings, allowing only four hits while striking out four batters. Lilly Shaw (Washington Courthouse, OH / Washington) entered the circle in relief to throw one hitless inning, and Lilly James (Troy, OH / Troy) got credited with the win as she threw the last four innings, allowing two runs on one hit and one walk while striking out seven batters in that span as well.

In both the eighth and ninth innings, the Trailblazers were able to score in the top half in the inning, but Wittenberg answered in the bottom of both innings with a run-scoring groundouts from Diana Quevedo (La Quinta, CA / La Quinta) and Hanna Ecker (Heath, OH / Heath). After holding Ohio Christian scoreless in the top of the 10th, the Tigers walked it off as Kirsten Wright (Springfield, OH / Kenton Ridge) crossed the plate on a wild pitch.

Team Leaders

• The lone hit in the entire game for the Tigers came from Kyleigh Bartlett (Beavercreek, OH / Beavercreek).
• Three different Tigers scored a run, and Ecker and Quevedo were each responsible for one Wittenberg RBI.
• Meghan McCans (Arcanum, OH / Arcanum) and Kaela May (Tipp City, OH / Tippecanoe) each logged a stolen base in the game.

Team Comparison

• The Trailblazers struck out 12 times to only eight for the Tigers, but Ohio Christian pitching only allowed one hit.
• Wittenberg drew three walks as Ohio Christian only drew one.
• The Tigers never caught stealing in the game while the Trailblazers were caught stealing once.

Game Two

Runs were much easier to come by in the second game as it was tied at one after the first inning and Wittenberg went on to score five more in the second and third innings. The Tigers posted two in the second on a passed ball and a bases loaded walk. Then in the third, they added three more on another passed ball, a single, and a fielding error to let a run across. Ohio Christian answered with four runs in the top of the sixth to cut the Tigers' lead to 6-5. In the bottom of the sixth the Tigers scored two more runs on back-to-back hits to the outfield from Ecker and Kayla Drake (Wilmington, OH / Clinton Massie) to end the scoring for both teams.

In the circle, Samantha Zungri (Canal Winchester, OH / Canal Winchester) earned her seventh win of the season by throwing three innings and allowing only one run on three hits while striking out one batter. James then came in to throw the last inning and collected her fourth save of the season as Shaw and Ecker combined for three innings between the two of them.

Game Two Team Leaders

• Rebekah Giel (Amelia, OH / West Clermont) led the team in hits with two, while seven other players each logged one each.
• McCans drove in two runs to pace the team in RBI's, but four other players drove one run acorss the plate each.
• Giel was also the only Tiger to cross the plate twice in the game.

Game Two Team Comparison

• The Tigers lead the Trailblazers in stolen bases, 8-2 and thurned three doulbe plays to none for Ohio Christian.
• Wittenberg also wlaked eight times compared to only three for Ohio Christian and both team struck out three times.
• Both team each logged two extra bases hits each, all of which came as doubles.

The Tigers will return to action tommorow, April 9th, as they travel to Denison for a key North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) doubleheader against the Big Red. Game one starts at 3:30 p.m. in Granville.

Written By: Grant Martin