CLERMONT, Fla. - After beating Bethel 7-0 and Smith 8-3 on the final day of the Tigers' 2016 Spring Break trip to the Sunshine State, the Wittenberg University softball team is officially off to the best start in program history.

The Tigers had compiled records of 9-1 and 8-1 in two of the previous three seasons under the direction of Head Coach Laura Matthews, but never before has Wittenberg returned to the Buckeye State without a loss. The Tigers outscored its 10 Spring Break opponents by a whopping combined total of 80-19, including a combined 15-3 against Bethel and Smith.

Wittenberg now has a week to get back into the swing of things on campus before a weekend of games against regional opponents. The Tigers are scheduled to take on Otterbein on the Cardinals' home field on Saturday, March 19, and then will kick off the home portion of the schedule with a pair of contests against Thomas More on Sunday, March 20.

The day started with a shutout against Bethel, powered by the complete-game pitching of sophomore Chelsea Zang (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seton). She allowed just four hits and a total of six baserunners in the game.

Zang was supported offensively by two key innings as the Tigers scored two runs in the first inning and five in the sixth. In the first, RBI hits were provided by senior Shannon Lance (Loveland, Ohio/Kings) and freshman Katy Baumgartner (Fishers, Ind./Fishers). In the sixth, Lance and Baumgartner again drove in runs, as did junior Abby Baker (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield).

Combs finished 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs, a walk and two stolen bases. Baumgartner was a perfect 4-for-4.

The unblemished road trip was capped against Smith as the Tigers again jumped on top with two runs in the first. After Smith tied the game with runs in the fourth and fifth innings, Wittenberg broke the game open with five in the fifth before the two teams swapped runs in the sixth.

Baker was the offensive catalyst this time with three hits in four plate appearances and four runs batted in. Zang drove in two runs, while Combs, Baker and freshman Lauren Buelow (Hilliard, Ohio/Darby) each scored twice in the game.

Baumgartner finished the week with a phenomenal .538 batting average as the Tigers posted a .367 team average on the Florida trip. Wittenberg's opponents managed just .201 in response as Zang and sophomore Abby Haab (Dublin, Ohio/Jerome) each won five games.

Written By: Ryan Maurer