SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers took a big step toward their season-long goals on Wednesday, easily defeating Earlham, 6-0, at Edwards-Maurer Field. It was the Tigers' biggest scoring output of the 2005 season, topping the four goals scored 10 days earlier in a win over Transylvania.

The win moved Wittenberg, the three-time defending North Coast Athletic Conference regular season and tournament champions, to 8-6 overall and 6-3 in the NCAC. The win was a strong response to last weekend's disappointing 3-1 loss at Wooster that dropped the Tigers out of first place in the NCAC. It also sets the stage for a tough final week, which opens on Saturday with a game at Ohio Wesleyan and continues with a home game against title contenders Denison on Wednesday and a road contest against current conference leader Oberlin next Saturday. Last year, Wittenberg won a 2-1 overtime game against the Yeowomen to capture the regular season title and home field advantage for the conference tournament.

Against Earlham, the offensive story was junior forward Katy Barrett, who scored four goals, two in each half. The school record for goals in a game is seven, and last year Blair Ufer tallied five times to stand second on the all-time list. Barrett is one of three players in school history to score four goals in a game.

Wittenberg, which outshot Earlham 17-4 in the game, also picked up scores from senior Julia Wickham and sophomore Alison Voigt. Junior defender Rachel Dunn, junior Holly McHugh and junior forward Melissa Jackson each finished with two assists, while Wickham was credited with part of a double assist off a penalty corner play at the end of the first half.