Shelby Ross

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg Tigers fell to 2-4 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) with a pair of home losses to Hiram. Just days after losing a pair to league-leading Denison at home, the Tigers were beaten by scores of 9-0 and 7-4 by second-place Hiram.

The losses dropped the Tigers to 8-17 overall and 2-4 in the conference, while Hiram improved to 16-9 overall and 5-1 in the NCAC. Plenty of opportunities remain, however, for Wittenberg to re-capture its lost momentum as four NCAC doubleheaders are scheduled for the next two weeks, starting with road trips to Kenyon and Wooster later this week.

In the opener, the Tigers were betrayed by their defense as freshman Caitlin Gowins (Coshocton, Ohio/River View) pitched all six innings but was charged with nine runs (five earned). Wittenberg made four errors to open the floodgates as the game was stopped prior to its scheduled seven innings due to a run rule.

The nightcap featured just one Wittenberg error, but it was a big one as it opened the door for three unearned scores that helped break the game open. Trailing 6-0 in the fifth inning, the Tigers rallied to score four times over the final three frames, but it wasn't enough.

Freshman Rachel Ross (Westerville, Ohio/South) collected a pair of base hits and drove in a run, while freshman Shelby Ross (Springfield, Ohio/Kenton Ridge) chipped in with two hits and a run scored from her spot in the No. 9 hole in the order. Freshman Laura Rose (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) added a run and RBI, as did senior Jessi Allen (Naperville, Ohio/Neuqua Valley).