Two Run-Rule Wins Keep Tigers Close In NCAC Race

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The Wittenberg softball team swept Oberlin by scores of 9-1 and 10-1 in two run-rule games on their way to a 7-3 North Coast Athletic Conference record and overall record of 17-5 on Thursday at Betty Dillahunt Field.

The Tigers maintained their post at second in the NCAC race, though they currently share the designation with Allegheny. DePauw leads the conference at 8-2, while Denison occupies fifth place at 5-3.

With doubleheaders upcoming at Denison on Saturday, April 19, and at DePauw on Wednesday, April 23, before two games at sixth-place Hiram on Saturday, April 26, the league race is far from over.

Wittenberg kept the chase alive with the two wins against Oberlin. In Game One, the Tigers scored two in the opening frame and blew the game open with four in the third, then put the finishing touches on with three in the fifth, while Oberlin scored their lone run in the top of the fifth. Wittenberg did the damage with seven hits and assistance from four Oberlin errors.

The first two runs came as senior Rachel Ross (Westerville, Ohio/South) singled in sophomore Loren Combs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Turpin) in the first before an Oberlin error allowed Ross to score later in the inning.

The four-run third inning outburst started with an Oberlin error that let freshman Abby Baker (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) onboard and allowed senior Laura Rose (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) to score all the from first as an additional throwing error kept the play going. Baker later scored on a wild pitch before junior Ashlee Wright (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) doubled sophomore Kaela Hughes (Columbus, Ohio/Watterson) and freshman Casey Hobbs (Fairborn, Ohio/Carroll) across on a shot through the left side.

After Oberlin picked up its only run, Hughes tripled to right field in the fifth for two RBIs, driving in Hobbs and senior Kaitie Harrison (Springfield, Ohio/Kenton Ridge), and Wright finished it off with her third RBI on a walk-off sacrifice bunt that achieved the run-rule margin.

Hobbs and Hughes were each 2-for-3 with two runs scored, Hughes adding two RBIs to the mix. Wright was 1-for-2 in picking up her three RBIs, and Ross was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Ross pitched the Tigers to victory with four innings in the circle, allowing no runs and three hits against one strikeout.  Freshman Alyssa Durette (Geneva, NY/Geneva) threw an inning of relief and allowed one run and two hits but limited Oberlin otherwise.

In Game Two, the Tigers scored just once in the first inning in response to a quick Oberlin run, but dropped the hammer in the second inning with seven runs. Two more runs in the third pushed the lead to 10-1, and from there it was a matter of holding things steady until the run rule kicked in.

Ross went the complete game to improve to 13-3 on five hits and one run, unearned, with one walk against five strikeouts.

After Oberlin grabbed a quick lead halfway through the first, Baker singled in Combs to even things up.

Combs drove in a run with a double to put the first of the second inning's seven runs across. Rose followed with a two-run triple into center field before Baker brought Rose in on a single. With Ross and Baker aboard, Harrison launched her first home run of the season to left center to complete the rally.

In the bottom of the third, the Tigers got two more when Baker tripled to center field to score Combs and sophomore Shannon Lance (Loveland, Ohio/Kings).

In the late game, the Tigers counted 10 total hits as both Combs and Baker went 3-for-3 at the plate, Baker plating four runs throughout the game and Combs scoring three times. Harrison finished 1-for-3 with the home run and three RBIs, while Lance was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and Rose was 1-for-3 with two runs driven in.

The Tigers face Denison in Granville, Ohio, on Saturday at 1 p.m.

John Strawn '07