|
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Head Coach Becky Hall knew there would be ups and downs in the 2011 season as she breaks in a host of young, inexperienced student-athletes. She is likely encouraged by the way the Tigers bounced back from a 10-1 loss to Baldwin-Wallace on Day 3 of their Spring Break trip to battle Defiance into extra innings before losing 6-5.
The losses dropped the Tigers to 2-4 on the young season. Wittenberg is at the halfway point of the Spring Break trip, with two games set for Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, followed by the long busride home on Saturday, March 12.
Against Baldwin-Wallace, junior Anna Kvartunas (Springfield, Va./Paul IV Catholic) pitched the first three innings and was betrayed by her defense. She allowed just three hits and one walk, but she left the game trailing 5-0 as the Tigers committed three errors behind her. Freshman Caitlin Gowins (Coshocton, Ohio/River View) relieved — she also gave up five runs, four of which were earned.
After being limited to just three hits in the five-inning, run-rule shortened loss to B-W, Wittenberg's offense got back on track against Defiance with 11 hits. The two teams finished the standard seven innings tied at three, but after Wittenberg collected two runs in the top of the eighth inning, the Yellow Jackets struck back for three runs to pick up the victory.
Freshman Rachel Ross (Westerville, Ohio/South) was solid for the Tigers in the pitcher's circle, allowing nine hits and two walks in 7.2 innings. Just three of Defiance's six runs were earned in the game.
Offensively, Wittenberg got a spark from freshman Kaitie Harrison (Springfield, Ohio/Kenton Ridge), who went a perfect 4-for-4 with an RBI while batting in the seventh spot. Junior Brooklyn Cox (Dayton, Ohio/Vandalia Butler), Ross and junior Tori Amicon (Galloway, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) each banged out two hits in the game, while senior Jessi Allen (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) scored a pair.