HIRAM, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers had the upper hand, but they couldn't close the deal on Saturday, settling for a doubleheader split at Hiram. In winning Game 1 by a 3-1 score and losing Game 2 by a matching 3-1 tally, the Tigers are now backed into a corner with one week left in the 2006 regular season.
Wittenberg is 16-16 overall, but more importantly the Tigers are 4-6 in the North Coast Athletic Conference with four games to play. Only the top four teams in the final regular season standings make the NCAC Tournament, and Wittenberg is now in a must-win situation heading into Monday's home doubleheader against Wooster. The NCAC schedule rounds out with a doubleheader at Oberlin on Saturday, April 29.
In Saturday's opener, the Tigers picked up yet another sparkling pitching performance from freshman Rachael Hatcher, who continues to give up base hits but limit the damage. Hiram managed seven hits against Hatcher, but the Terriers pushed across just one run, that coming in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Offensively, Wittenberg picked up two hits in three plate appearances from sophomores Sarah Fetters and Amy Myser. Both also had a double in the game, with Myser's coming at an opportune time in the sixth inning, driving in sophomore Nicole Ottavi. That came after the biggest hit of the afternoon for the Tigers, a solo home run by sophomore Taryn Hensel.
The nightcap didn't go as well for the Tigers, however, despite the fact that Wittenberg banged out another eight hits. The pitching combination of Hensel and junior Grace Wigton combined to limit the Terriers to three runs on five hits in the game, but Wittenberg stranded seven runners and left the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning. After filling the basepaths with Tigers with no outs, Wittenberg went 1-2-3 to end the threat.
Juniors Lucy Huelsman and Stephanie Zorn each finished 2-for-3 and Myser had the Tigers' lone RBI, a single in the second inning that plated Zorn.