Wittenberg Sweeps Season-Opening Doubleheader From Lakeland

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - The Wittenberg Tigers got the 2005 season off to a tremendous start Sunday in Port Charlotte, Fla., with a doubleheader sweep of Lakeland, 7-0 and 7-5.

The Tigers, coming off a 21-15 overall record in 2004, are a relatively experienced team with high expectations this year, and taking a pair from a team that made an appearance in the national tournament in recent years is encouraging. Wittenberg has three more varsity doubleheaders in Florida this week, starting with two against Concordia (Wis.) today.

The Tigers scored three runs in the first inning and four more in the fourth in Game 1, and that was all junior righthander Steve Less needed. He tossed a complete-game, four-hit shutout. Wittenberg, which finished with eight hits to Lakeland's four, picked up two base knocks, a run batted in and a run scored from senior Jon Komperda, who picked up right where he left off in 2004 when he led the Tigers with a .438 batting average.

In Game 2, the Tigers again scored seven runs, one in the first and third innings, two in the fourth and three in the game-winning sixth-inning rally. Again, Wittenberg doubled up on its opponent in hits (10-5), and after giving up two runs each in the second and third innings and another tally in the fourth, senior Kurt Hartfelder settled down to pick up the pitching victory.