GRANVILLE, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers had won eight of their previous 10 games, but that all came to an end at Denison on Tuesday night. Playing under the lights at the Big Red's newly renovated park, the Tigers had no answers on offense in a pair of shutout losses, 8-0 and 2-0.
The losses dropped the Tigers back to .500 overall at 14-14. More importantly, the Tigers are now in must-win mode after their only four losses of the last two weeks have come against North Coast Athletic Conference frontrunners Ohio Wesleyan and Denison. Wittenberg stands 2-4 in the NCAC heading into an eight-day layoff, which is followed by a key doubleheader against Kenyon on April 19 back home in the friendly confines of Betty Dillahunt Field.
The opener was shortened to five innings as the Big Red scored two runs in the first inning, three in the second and three more in the fifth to accumulate the necessary eight runs to invoke the run rule. Wittenberg collected five hits and had eight baserunners in its five at-bats, but the Tigers left seven stranded. Sophomore Sarah Fetters and junior Stephanie Zorn both continued to swing hot sticks, each going 2-for-3 in the game.
In Game 2, the Tigers were completely shut down, managing just three baserunners as the game went the full seven innings. Wittenberg's lone hits were provided by sophomore Nicole Ottavi and junior Erin Collinsworth, but the Tigers never mounted a serious scoring threat. No Wittenberg runner made it past first base in the game.
Freshman Rachael Hatcher did have a fine game in the pitchers circle, limiting the potent Big Red to seven hits and two earned runs. Both Denison's runs came in the third inning.