HIRAM, Ohio — The Wittenberg softball team split a key North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader on the road at Hiram on Sunday, falling 5-1 in game one but picking up the second game 4-2. The Tigers moved to 22-10 overall and 7-3 in the NCAC. 

Wittenberg collected eight base hits in the first game, but left eight runners aboard, scoring once off the bat of senior Brooklyn Cox (Dayton, Ohio/Vandalia Butler), who led the lineup with two hits in three at bats.

The Tigers made every opportunity count in game two, scoring four runs on just five base hits. Senior Fallon White (Fairborn, Ohio/Northmont) drove in two runs on a first-inning single, finishing the game 1-for-2 with two walks.

Seniors Jessica Snyder (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) and Tori Amicon (Galloway, Ohio/Hilliard Darby) each posted an RBI on a 2-for-4 line to round out the hits. Freshman Carly Cribbs (Rochester, Mich./Rochester) and sophomore Laura Rose (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) each scored once on a walk.

Sophomore Rachel Ross (Westerville, Ohio/South) improved to 11-4 on the season with a complete-game pitching victory, setting seven batters down by strikeout while walking only two.

Elsewhere in the NCAC, Allegheny took two off of Kenyon to improve to 6-2 (.750) in conference, passing Wittenberg (7-3, .700) in the standings for first place. The Tigers remain several games ahead of five teams locked in a tie for third place, all sitting at .500. The grouping includes 4-4 DePauw, Wooster, Hiram and Ohio Wesleyan, and 3-3 Denison.

Wittenberg can knock one of those teams out of third place in their next action at DePauw on Tuesday, April 17 at 1 p.m.

John Strawn '07