SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Make it seven straight wins for the Wittenberg Tigers. With an exclamation point.
The Tigers completed a perfect 6-for-6 week with a sweep of visiting Oberlin on Senior Recognition Day at Dillahunt Field. By scores of 6-0 and 17-0, the Tigers displayed a tremendous combination of offensive firepower and dominant pitching to improve to 24-10 overall and 9-3 in the North Coast Athletic Conference.
The story in the opener was sophomore Rachael Hatcher (West Carrollton, Ohio/West Carrollton), who tossed what may be the first no-hitter in Wittenberg softball history. Accurate records from seasons prior to 1995 are not readily available, so Hatcher's performance will go down for now as the best in school history unless research turns up a different answer.
Hatcher allowed just one baserunner in the game, that coming in the second inning on an error. Otherwise, she was perfect, retiring the other 21 Oberlin batters.
Offensively, the Tigers were paced by senior Stephanie Zorn (Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville) with two runs batted in. Seven different players had at least one hit, six different players scored at least one run and five different players drove in at least one run in a balanced performance.
Game 2 was all Wittenberg again, as the Tigers scored at least two runs in each of the first four innings. Freshman Cameron Catalfu (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) banged out a career-high four hits in four plate appearances, and she was one of three players to score three runs in the game. Zorn and sophomore Julie Ziegler (Sandusky, Ohio/Perkins) also scored three times, while senior Grace Wigton (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian) drove in three runs to support her two-hit pitching performance. In the run-rule shortened game, Wigton allowed just two hits and a walk in five scoreless innings.
The Tigers have now clinched a berth in the four-team NCAC Tournament, although they could finish anywhere from first to fourth in the final regular season standings. They close the 2007 regular season with a road trip to Wilmington on Tuesday and the NCAC finale at Allegheny on Saturday. The NCAC Tournament is slated for May 4-5, with the regular season champion serving as host.