SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – Wittenberg softball improved to 15-3 overall and 5-1 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) with a doubleheader sweep of Allegheny at Betty Dillahunt Field on Saturday.
The wins, by scores of 3-1 and 2-0, in order, came on Senior Day as three Tigers were honored. Senior Rachel Ross (Westerville, Ohio/South) was so honored that she threw two complete-game wins to improve to 11-2 on the season.
Fellow seniors Laura Rose (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) and Kaitie Harrison (Springfield, Ohio/Kenton Ridge) were alongside Ross during the ceremony in between games, symbolically wrapping up careers that have spanned two NCAC Tournament appearances and 74 wins so far.
Rose picked up an RBI on 1-for-3 hitting in both games, moving her within one RBI of her third different career record, already holding the title in home runs and stolen bases.
In the first game, Wittenberg opened the scoring with a run in the third when Rose singled home sophomore Loren Combs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Turpin) after Combs reached and went to second on an error.
Allegheny recouped the run in the top of the fifth, but the Tigers answered with two runs in the sixth to go ahead. Junior Ashlee Wright (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) reached on an error and pinch-runner junior Shelby Knapp (Springfield, Ohio/Springfield) went to second on a single by freshman Abby Baker (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) and to third on a grounder by freshman Casey Hobbs (Fairborn, Ohio/Carroll). Sophomore Shannon Lance (Loveland, Ohio/Kings) then doubled to bring Knapp around, and in the next at bat scored on a wild pitch for the final margin.
Ross went the distance by limiting Allegheny to four hits and no walks while striking out six and allowing just one run. The Tigers counted just five hits but took advantage of three walks and two errors to make noise.
Both Ross and Allegheny pitcher Caitlin Nealer reprised their roles in game two, and again Ross was up to the task against the Gators' talented hurler. Wittenberg once more had five hits but Ross clamped down to hold Allegheny to three with no walks against three strikeouts for the shutout.
Ross also doubled in the go-ahead run with a double in the bottom of the first, scoring Combs from third after she grabbed her 24th stolen base of the year.
The Tigers finished up the scoring in the third when Rose doubled to left-center field to bring Lance around all the way from first.
Wittenberg will finally make up an oft-postponed conference doubleheader with Ohio Wesleyan on Sunday, April 13, at 1 p.m. in Delaware, Ohio, to continue the NCAC schedule.
John Strawn '07