KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Wittenberg Tigers ended their annual Spring Break trip on a down note with a pair of losses. The Tigers dropped an 8-0 decision to fourth-ranked Washington University and then capped the trip with a 3-2 loss to Muhlenberg.
The losses dropped the Tigers to 5-5 overall on the young season. Wittenberg heads into a week off before the season begins in earnest with a road trip to Baldwin-Wallace on March 17.
Against Washington University, the two teams played six innings before a run rule was invoked. The Tigers were held to just one hit and managed just two baserunners in the game - although neither advanced past second base. On the flip side, Wittenberg pitcher Rachael Hatcher (West Carrollton, Ohio/West Carrollton) was hit hard for the first time this season, although she was also hurt by three Tiger errors. Hatcher took her second loss of the trip against four wins.
After 12 Tigers went down via strikeout against Washington University, the Tigers fared better in their Florida trip finale, but they were unable to pull off their fifth come-from-behind victory of the week. On four previous occasions earlier in the week Wittenberg had won games after falling behind in the opening innings, but after trailing the Mules 3-0 in the early going, the Tigers got two of the runs back before getting just one run out of a bases loaded situation in the seventh inning.
Freshman pitcher Brooke Boswell (Hamilton, Ohio/Fairfield) had a solid game, going the distance for the Tigers and giving up just one earned run on six hits and two walks. Offensively, senior Lucy Huelsman (Wellington, Ohio/Wellington) went 3-for-4, but no other Tiger managed more than one hit in the game. Junior Nicole Ottavi (Columbus, Ohio/Whetstone) had an RBI single and freshman Emily Rudman (West Lafayette, Ind./West Lafayette) added an RBI groundout to account for the Tigers' two runs.