SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Things started off well enough for the Wittenberg Tigers in their 2008 home opener, but after an 8-2 win a bad first inning in Game 2 forced the home team to settle for a split with Baldwin-Wallace College.
The Tigers are now 6-6 on the season. They will return to action Tuesday against Mount St. Joseph at home and then Wednesday at Transylvania.
The keys in Game 1 were timely hitting and strong starting pitching. Offensively, senior shortstop Sarah Fetters (Woodhaven, Mich./Maumee (Ohio)) got things going with her first career grand slam in the third inning, while sophomore Jade Chivington (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) enjoyed her most productive collegiate game with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate, in addition to three runs scored, one RBI and one stolen base.
The pitching was provided by sophomore Brooke Boswell (Hamilton, Ohio/Fairfield), who went the distance to pick up the win. She allowed two earned runs on six hits and one walk. She struck out four Yellow Jackets.
After such a solid start to a suprisingly sunny day at Betty Dillahunt Field, things turned sour quickly in the nightcap. Baldwin-Wallace struck for nine runs - six earned - in the opening frame and ran out to an 11-0 lead through three innings. While BW banged out 13 hits in the game, but the real story for the Tigers was a whopping six errors, including four in the first inning alone.
Offensively, the Tigers had their chances as they put 11 runners on base but stranded nine of them. Wittenberg avoided the shutout only when senior Nicole Ottavi (Columbus, Ohio/Whetstone) banged out a two-out double in the third inning.