Gambier, Ohio – The Wittenberg softball team suffered a pair of NCAC road losses to the Ladies of Kenyon College on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers battled it out with the Ladies from Kenyon, falling in a tough game one battle by a final score of 7-5, before going down in game two 8-4. The offense was alive on both sides, as Wittenberg tallied double-digit hits in both games, recording 25 hits on the day between the two games.
Game One Breakdown
Wittenberg was the first to strike on the day, coming off the Lauren Buelow double down the right-field line and going up 1-0. Elise Freeland logged her first RBI of the day with a sharply hit ball to the left side of the infield, bringing in the second Tiger run of the second inning. Kenyon responded with seven unanswered runs between the fourth and fifth innings. Buelow stepped back in to help the Tiger offense with an RBI single to right field, cutting the Kenyon lead down to 7-3. Freeland knocked in two more Wittenberg runs with a double to left center, bringing around Buelow and Nikki Hawkins, as Kenyon went on to hold off the Tigers in the seventh inning.
Katelyn Niswonger took the mound to start the game, tossing four innings with six hits allowed, while striking out three. Mary Britton tossed two innings of relief for the Red and White, allowing four hits and striking out one.
Game Two Breakdown
After Kenyon got on the board first with two runs in the first inning, Wittenberg struck back in the top of the second to regain the lead in the top of the second. Freeland drove in the first Wittenberg run with a single to the left side, bringing home Elaina Adams. A double by Lee plated the next two Tiger runs, taking the Wittenberg advantage out to 3-2. Curnutte capped off the Tiger rally with a single to center to score Lee for the fourth final run of the second inning. Unfortunately, this would be the only offensive spark the Tigers would see in the second game, as Kenyon responded with six runs over the final five innings of action.
Niswonger got the start in game two for the Red and White, tossing two and a third for the Tigers with three strikeouts to her credit. Cassidy Osborne came in to close out the Ladies with two strikeouts on the day.
UP NEXT
Wittenberg will return to action on Monday, April 15, hosting the Polar Bears of Ohio Northern University from Betty Doughman Dillahunt Field. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 3:00 PM.