The 2005 Wittenberg softball team finished fifth in the North Coast Athletic Conference regular season with a 7-6 record and posted a 2005 record of 11-24 overall.

The season started slowly as the Tigers struggled to a 1-7 record in the SunWest Tournament at Chapman University in Orange, Calif. After winning their opener 8-0 over Lake Erie College, the Tigers dropped nine straight in California and four more on consecutive road trips to regional powers Thomas More College and Muskingum College. After that 1-11 start, which included nine games against teams that would later advance to the NCAA Division III Tournament, Wittenberg was a respectable 10-13.

The Tigers just missed the NCAC Tournament for the first time in its five-year existence. Wittenberg won four its last five NCAC games to come within one-half game of the fourth and final spot in the tourney, with a rainout in the second game of a doubleheader at Kenyon playing a key role in the season's outcome. Leading 1-0 in the third inning, the Tigers saw their postseason hopes dashed by a thunderstorm that concluded the game prematurely without a final result.

Sophomore shortstop Stephanie Zorn (Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville) was named NCAC Player of the Year, marking the third straight year that a Wittenberg player captured that honor. She led a three-player Wittenberg contingent on the All-NCAC first team that also included senior pitcher/utility player Norah Gillam (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) and sophomore catcher/utility player Erin Collinsworth (Springfield, Ohio/Catholic Central).

It was Zorn's first appearance on the first team after taking second-team honors a year ago. She led the Tigers in almost every offensive category in 2005 while batting clean-up and starting at shortstop in all 35 games. She hit .404 with 25 runs scored and 18 runs batted in, all of which topped the team. Her seven doubles, two triples and one home run all were tied for tops on the team, while 12 walks and .466 on-base percentage led the squad by a wide margin.

Gillam, who earned recognition from the conference by making the 20th Anniversary NCAC All-Decade Team last year, wrapped up her career with a fourth straight first-team honor. She had perhaps her finest all-around season in 2005, starting all 35 games at pitcher, designated player or first base and hitting .330 with 14 runs scored, 16 RBI and a team-best seven doubles. On the mound, Gillam went 6-9 in 17 appearances, including 14 complete games, and a team-best 3.11 earned run average. She was victimized by a whopping 25 unearned runs out of 69 total that she allowed during the season. In addition, Gillam topped the Tigers with a .991 fielding percentage as she was credited with just one error all season.

Collinsworth had a breakout year at the plate, hitting over .400 in conference action in 2005 en route to the first All-NCAC honor of her collegiate career. In 33 appearances on the season overall, including 31 starts, Collinsworth hit .344 with five doubles and 12 runs batted in.

In addition, freshman Sarah Fetters (Maumee, Ohio/Maumee) garnered All-NCAC mention for her play. She was the Tigers' lone second-team choice after starting 34 games at a variety of positions and hitting .283 with 23 runs scored, second-most on the team. She batted leadoff much of the season.

Super Seniors: Gillam was joined by Jen Meyer (Solon, Ohio/Hathaway Brown) and Ashley Lands (Dover, Ohio/Dover) in a senior class that will leave a significant void in 2006.

Gillam's accomplishments in 2005 have been chronicled, but her career numbers are worth noting as well. She finished with a career pitching record of 32-28, second on Wittenberg's career lists for both wins and losses. Gillam threw 394.1 innings, also second on the Tigers' career list, and her career ERA of 2.87 ranks among the top 10 in school history. Offensively, Gillam finished with a career batting average of .293 after posting averages of .300 or better in three of her four seasons. Her 385 at-bats, 113 hits and 59 RBI all rank among the top 10 in school history, as does her career fielding percentage of .983, a product of just seven errors in nearly 350 official chances.

Meyer, a two-time third-team All-American in field hockey, played just seven games in 2005 due to a knee injury. She hit .316 and drove in three runs. For her career, Meyer earned four varsity letters in softball, compiling a .255 average with 42 runs scored and 29 RBI. She played a variety of positions, including third base, shortstop, second base and centerfield.

Lands, an outfielder, played three years and became a regular contributor during the 2004 season. Her career batting average is an impressive .348 after posting career highs in almost every offensive category in 2005. She hit .356 with 19 runs, seven RBI, 12 walks and a perfect five stolen bases in five attempts.

After the three seniors, the rest of the 15-person roster in 2005 was comprised exclusively of underclassmen. Five freshmen and seven sophomores picked up a lot of playing time, hopefully building a positive foundation for 2006 and beyond.

Among the freshmen, Fetters was the most accomplished performer, while second basemen Amy Myser (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) and pitcher Taryn Hensel (Marion, Ohio/Ridgedale) both saw regular action and enjoyed bright moments along the way.

Myser appeared in 29 games, starting 27, while posting a deceiving .180 batting average. Myser had 11 hits all season, but she also had 11 runs batted in and 10 runs scored. Hensel led the Tigers with 18 pitching appearances, including 12 starts. She finished with a 4-6 record and a 4.27 earned run average.

All seven sophomores were key performers for the Tigers in 2005, led by Zorn and Collinsworth offensively. Tops among the other second-year players were Grace Wigton (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian), who started 30 games, including three as a pitcher, and posted a respectable .276 batting average and 4.03 earned run average in 12 appearances, Lucy Huelsman (Wellington, Ohio/Wellington), who started all 35 games, primarily at third base, and ranked among the team leaders in RBI with 13 and stolen bases with five, and catcher Jamie Bockelman (Enon, Ohio/Greenon), who made 25 starts and ranked second on the team with 86 putouts.

Becky Hall (Urbana '97) took over the Wittenberg softball program in 1999. She is a two-time NCAC Coach of the Year and has led the Tigers to two NCAC regular season titles, one NCAC tournament crown and two NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. Hall has a career record of 141-130-1 as the Tigers' head coach.