Tigers Hold Off Late Threat, Earn Split With Otterbein

Katelyn Davis

WESTERVILLE, Ohio — The Wittenberg softball team dropped a 7-4 decision in the first game of a non-conference doubleheader at Otterbein University but bounced back to take Game 2 by a 3-2 score, moving to 6-13 overall on the year.

Freshman pitcher Rachel Ross (Westerville, Ohio/South) eluded a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning to take home a victory in the nightcap and move to 4-5 on the season. She retired the first two batters of the inning before three straight singles loaded the bags. Ross hunkered down and got the Cardinal's three-hole hitter on strikes to end the threat and the game.

The final inning accounted for three of the seven hits Ross allowed, as she totaled six strikeouts and surrendered just two runs in the game. The Tiger lineup backed her up with 11 hits, including an impressive 3-for-3 outing by Ross in her own support.

Junior Jessica Snyder (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) also collected three hits in four at bats, scoring once. Junior Tori Amicon (Galloway, Ohio/Hilliard Darby), senior Jessi Allen (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) and freshman Shelby Ross (Springfield, Ohio/Kenton Ridge) all pushed a run across on one hit each.

The Cardinals fell to 10-8 following the win, which represented the eighth complete game of Rachel Ross' inaugural collegiate season.

Ross worked hard to quiet the Cardinal bats, which in the early game chalked 13 hits. Otterbein scored one in the first and second and added two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth, while Wittenberg scored two in the second and again in the fourth.

Junior Katelyn Davis (Bethesda, Ohio/Union Local) was responsible for three of the runs, belting a two-run home run in the fourth after singling a run across in the second. She finished the game 2-for-3, while junior Fallon White (Fairborn, Ohio/Northmont) went 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI.

Junior catcher Brooklyn Cox (Dayton, Ohio/Vandalia Butler) went 2-for-4 at the plate. Cox's freshman battery mate Caitlin Gowins (Coshocton, Ohio/River View) allowed six earned runs and struck out two from the circle.

The Tigers open North Coast Athletic Conference competition with a trip to Pennsylvania where they face Allegheny College on Saturday, April 9 at 1 p.m.

John Strawn '07