SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Wittenberg senior standout hurler Rachael Hatcher (West Carrollton, Ohio/West Carrollton) etched her name into the record books as the winningest pitcher in program history in a Tiger 3-1 defeat of visiting Hiram. Hatcher's win give the Tigers their first NCAC victory of the season, before the Red and White nearly rallied for a sweep in the second game. A late-inning charge fell short, however, in a 10-8 loss in the doubleheader sweep.
In game one, along with Hatcher's six-hitter, the Tigers scrapped a pair of runs in the sixth to build some breathing room thanks to a Jade Chivington (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) RBI single to drive home Jessi Allen (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley). Head Coach Becky Hall's squad also managed to avoid any danger inspite of three errors on the day.
In the second affair, the Tigers fell behind early, trailing by six heading into the late frames. Not to be denied, however, Wittenberg scored four runs on five hits, all coming with one out in the bottom of the seventh. With the bases loaded, a line out double play ended the late run and forced the Tigers to settle for a split with Hiram. Freshman Jessica Snyder (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) enjoyed her best outing as a Tiger, knocking three hits and scoring twice in the second contest.
Wittenberg moves to 8-16 and 1-3 in NCAC play as the Tigers make a quick turnaround to face non-conference opponent Transylvania at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 5, for a doubleheader.
Written by: Ben Bradley, SID Assistant