SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tiger softball team made a strong case for its postseason potential Saturday with an explosive doubleheader against Oberlin. The Red & White poured in 21 runs in Game 1 and 10 in Game 2, while holding the Yeowomen to two runs in each. Both games ended after just five innings.
The Tiger pitching staff's two aces, junior Rachael Hatcher (West Carrollton, Ohio/West Carrollton) and sophomore Brooke Boswell (Hamilton, Ohio/Fairfield) both picked up wins, improving Hatcher to 7-4 and Boswell to 8-4 on the season. Boswell completed the first game, allowing no earned runs on just four hits, walking two and striking out six unfortunate Yeowomen. Hatcher started and finished Game 2, giving up two runs, both earned, on only five hits and one walk. She tallied five strikeouts, the second of which tied her for second in career strikeouts, the third propelling her to sole ownership of the spot. She now stands at 246 total strikeouts.
Game 1 had too much Tiger offense for words. The lineup produced an outrageous 23 hits and 19 RBI, and incredibly, not one Tiger struck out. Senior shortstop Sarah Fetters (Woodhaven, Mich./Maumee (Ohio)) went 3-for-3 with an RBI, and more importantly, hit her 37th double, to tie the Wittenberg career record. This past weekend against Ohio Wesleyan, she collected her 308th career assist, to break the school record. Nine different batters recorded RBI in Game 1. Senior right fielder Nicole Ottavi (Columbus, Ohio/Whetstone) and Boswell both put five runners across, and junior first baseman Julie Ziegler (Sandusky, Ohio/Perkins) scored three with her 3-for-3 game from the plate.
Game 2 was not quite as wide-open, but the Tigers nonetheless managed to score in the double digits. Sophomore center fielder Cameron Catalfu (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland) went 3-for-4 with three RBI, and tacked on a stolen base. Ottavi drove home another two to make it seven RBI on the day, while sophomore third baseman Jade Chivington (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) homered down the left field line in the third inning for her two RBI. Freshman second baseman Jessi Allen (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) went 2-for-4 from the plate with an RBI.
The Tigers travel to Hiram on Sunday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader with the Terriers. Overall, the team's record now stands at 20-10, with a 6-4 mark in the North Coast Athletic Conference.