GRANVILLE, Ohio — After winning two games back-to-back on Friday to march to the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament Championship Game, the NCAC Tournament Title was just not in the cards as the Tigers dropped Game 2 to Denison by a final score of 6-2. The Big Red took the title and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Div. III Tournament.
The Tigers fell to 19-21 overall to finish the season.
Tiger senior starting pitcher Brooke Boswell (Hamilton, Ohio/Fairfield) lasted only two innings, knocked out of the game while on the basepaths as the result of a collision in the third inning. While in the circle, she allowed just two runs on four hits with one strikeout and one walk.
Senior Meghan O'Neill (Springfield, Ohio/Catholic Central) took over and threw three strong innings, allowing four hits to score one run. Senior Melisa Shock (Bellbrook, Ohio/Bellbrook) pitched one inning and allowed three runs, two earned, on one hit.
The Tiger lineup produced eight total hits, led by two from shortstop Jessica Snyder (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) (2-for-4) and senior Jade Chivington (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) (2-for-3). Chivington and junior Jessi Allen (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) each drove in a run, Allen on 1-for-3 hitting. Allen and Snyder each scored a run.
Denison took an early lead in the first inning with two runs on a home run from Bree Berkopec, a knock which broke the single-season North Coast Athletic Conference home run record.
In the top of the third, Boswell collided while on the basepaths with Denison second baseman Lauren Lynn, a run-in which took Boswell out of the game. O'Neill took over in the circle for the bottom of the inning.
Both teams were quiet until the fifth inning, when Denison loaded the bases with one out. A sacrifice fly to left field scored one, but a good throw from Jessi Allen and a quick relay from sophomore first baseman Tori Amicon (Galloway, Ohio/Hilliard Darby) caught a runner trying to advance from second to third for a double play. The play ended the inning, but not before the run made it a 3-0 game.
In the top of the sixth, the Tigers erased the shutout with a two-run, two-out rally. Snyder doubled to lead the inning off, and the next two batters were retired, though they did advance Snyder to third. Allen singled between third and short to score Snyder, and Chivington cranked a double to left center to score Allen.
Shock took over for the sixth, but Denison's bats got hotter. Lauren Lynn launched a three-run home run to left field to extend Denison's lead to 6-2. The Tigers threatened in the top of the seventh but could not convert any runs.
Following the game, the NCAC's all-tournament team was announced. The Tigers picked up three spots, and the complete list follows:
- NCAC All-Tournament Team:
- Rita Cook, Ohio Wesleyan
- Emily Bradley, Ohio Wesleyan
- Kelly Langland, Hiram
- Jessica Snyder, Wittenberg
- Cameron Catalfu, Wittenberg
- Jade Chivington, Wittenberg
- Leslie Brenner, Denison
- Lauren Lynn, Denison
- Alex Murray, Denison
- Bree Berkopec, Denison
- Jessica Robertson, Denison
- MVP: Samantha Rumschlag, Denison
Written by: John Strawn '07