Softball Loses Two at ONU Invitational

ADA, OH. – Experiencing a rough day on the diamond, going up against two tough teams, Wittenberg Softball suffered two defeats at the hands of Hope, 5-1, and Alma, 5-3, while competing in the Ohio Northern University Invitational at the Durbin-Hileman Stadium in Ada, Ohio, on Saturday, March 21.

Unable to muster up much offense throughout the day, the Tigers lost to Hope, 5-1, in game one. The Flying Dutch scored five runs in the third on five hits and three errors that led to all five runs crossing the plate. Wittenberg scored its lone run in the fourth inning and tallied a total of five hits in the game.

Bekah Giel (Amelia, OH / West Clermont) was 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and a run scored. Kirsten Wright(Springfield, OH / Kenton Ridge) had an RBI, and Shyann Beddow (Kearns, UT / Kearns), Kayla Drake (Wilmington, OH / Clinton-Massie), and Rowan Goodpasture (Wabash, IN / Southwood) each had a hit. Goodpasture and Kennedy Reed (Lewis Center, OH / Olentangy Orange) each stole a base.

Phoebe Underwood (Seymour, IN / Seymour) suffered the loss on the mound and is now 3-3 on the season. She went four innings and allowed five hits and no earned runs, while walking two and striking out two. With the win, Hope improved to 9-5 overall and has won four in a row.

In game two, the Tigers were once again plagued by errors and couldn't get the offense going until late in the game, scoring once in the sixth frame and striking twice more in the seventh to fall short of tying things up. Alma scored five runs on 10 hits and committed three errors. The Scots, who scored one in the second and four in the third, are now 8-2 overall.  

 A couple of players had a stellar day at the plate for the Tigers, including Goodpasture, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI, a run scored, and two stolen bases, and Drake, who was 2-for-3 with a double. Ava Cyphers (Dayton, OH / Vandalia Butler) went 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Julie Hall (Powell, OH / Bishop Watterson) suffered the loss on the hill, going 2.2 innings and allowing five runs, four earned, on seven hits, while striking out four. She is now 2-2 on the season. Lilly James (Troy, OH / Troy) came on in relief and pitched four innings of three-hit softball, while fanning six batters.

With the two losses on the day, Wittenberg drops to 7-5 overall. 

Up Next

Wittenberg will try to get back to its winning ways when the Tigers continue play in the ONU Invitational at Ohio Northern on March 22, taking on Alma again at noon, followed by Ohio Northern at 4 p.m.

Written By: Cindy Holbrook