WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Wittenberg baseball team continued a Spring Break trip to Florida on Tuesday with a 14-7 loss in a nine-inning game against Penn St.-Altoona.

The Tigers slipped to 0-4 with the loss, but even with a tough opening stretch, the Tigers have reason for optimism.

Freshman Josh Kaplan (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) went 2-for-5 in the game and leads the team so far with a .438 batting average, while senior David Moore (Tipp City, Ohio/Tippecanoe) owns a team-best .786 slugging percentage.

Moore went 3-for-4 with a double and a triple against the Lions to boost that slugging percentage while adding two stolen bases and driving in one run. Senior Tyler Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio/Cincinnati Moeller) pushed across a team-high two runs on a 2-for-4 outing at the plate.

Junior Zac Wilson (Eaton, Ohio/Eaton) also nabbed two bags after walking twice. Freshman Dalton Boucher (Granville, Ohio/Granville) went 2-for-5 with an RBI, freshman Ben Dobrowolski (Milford, Ohio/Milford) was 1-for-3 with an RBI, and senior Tyler Grau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller) also posted an RBI.

Freshman Tyler Powell (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana) took the loss in a four-inning start. Freshman Trent Champlin (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln) followed with two innings of one-hit, one-walk relief. Senior Jonathan Long (Hilliard, Ohio/Darby) contributed two-thirds of an inning, and freshman Keith Orzen (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls) finished the game off, allowing one run in one inning.

The Tigers continue the Florida trip with a nine-inning contest against Westfield St. at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 13, at Lake Bonny Field No. 1 in Lakeland, Fla.

John Strawn '07