Springfield, Ohio - The Wittenberg University softball team hosted the Battling Bishops for an NCAC doubleheader from Betty Doughman Dillahunt Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. The Tigers took game one 4-1, before moving on to complete the sweep with an 11-6 game two win. Wittenberg collected 21 hits on the afternoon, while seven different Tigers tallied a hit in the series opener. Elise Freeland and Missy Lee closed out the series going 3 for 3 from the plate with five runs scored and five runs batted in for the Red and White between them.
Game One Breakdown
After three scoreless innings to start the action, Wittenberg opened the scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning by taking a 4-0 lead over Ohio Wesleyan. Lee knocked in the first Tiger runs of the day, with an RBI single to right, bringing in Brooke Dill, as Freeland would follow her home with some heads up baserunning and capitalizing on the Ohio Wesleyan error. Abby Curnutte followed up with a double to left, plating the next two Tiger runs of the inning, as Lee and Aubrie Stillings would come around to score, taking the Wittenberg advantage out to 4-0. Ohio Wesleyan plated their first run in the top of the sixth inning, converting on the sacrifice fly, cutting the Wittenberg lead down to 4-1.
A strong defensive effort by the Red and White, led by Katelyn Niswonger in the circle tossing all seven innings to start the series helped Wittenberg pick up the win. Niswonger finished the first game with five hits allowed and three strikeouts to her credit.
Game Two Breakdown
It was a back and forth battle in game two, as the two sides exchanged runs through the early going without giving up the lead. Megan Niswonger singled to left field to bring home Lee, bringing the game to even at 1-1 in the bottom of the first. A triple by Lee down the right-field line brought the score back to 2-2, as Freeland came around to score for the Red and White. The Wittenberg offense went off in the fourth, exploding for seven runs as the Tiger lead jumped out to 9-2. The Tiger scoring rally started off when Clara Andersen came home to score on the Ohio Wesleyan error. Freeland later ripped a three-RBI triple to left, extending the Wittenberg lead to 6-2. A single by Alex Gibson to right field pushed across Freeland for the fifth Tiger run of the inning. Megan Niswonger sent a shot up the middle to continue the Red and White scoring rally and bring home Lee. Andersen capped off the offensive clinic in the fourth, driving in the seventh Tiger run, as the Red and White maintained a 9-2 advantage. Ohio Wesleyan chipped away at the Wittenberg lead with four runs in the top of the fifth inning, but the Tigers rallied back to add two more to their lead in the bottom half of the inning, holding on to the 11-6 win.
Mary Britton took the circle to start the game for the Tigers, tossing just over four innings, allowing six hits and striking out two. Katelyn Niswonger closed down the Battling Bishops, adding one more strikeout to her total on the day.
UP NEXT
Wittenberg will head to Allegheny College on Saturday, April 20 taking on the Gators in two games starting 1:00 PM.