Tigers Lose Two of Three In the NCAC Tournament

Norah Gillam

The Wittenberg softball team concluded its season on a down note, losing two of three games last weekend at the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament, which was hosted by Allegheny. Still, the relatively young Tigers enjoyed a great deal of success in 2004 and have much to look forward to in the future.

On Friday, the Tigers were beaten 1-0 in an extra-inning thriller of a first-round game by Ohio Wesleyan, the regular season co-champion with Allegheny. Juniors Norah Gillam (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) was nothing short of spectacular in the pitchers' circle, tossing seven hitless innings before errors cost the Tigers dearly in the eighth inning. For the game, Gillam allowed just one unearned run and one hit in 7 1/3 innings.

Gillam shut out Kenyon in the first round consolation game on Friday for four innings and gained her 11th win of the season. In hopes of saving her for Saturday's games, Gillam was replaced for the final two innings of what turned out to be an 11-3 victory. Senior Carmen Montgomery (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) collected two hits and four runs scored from her lead-off position to spearhead the offensive outburst. Junior Jen Fleming (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne) and freshman Stephanie Zorn (Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville) each drove in two runs.

On Saturday, the roof fell in on the Tigers as they dropped a 13-1 decision to Ohio Wesleyan. Gillam couldn't keep the magic going, nor could any of the other three Tigers pitchers who attempted to stem the tide. Wittenberg's lone run was scored by sophomore Kelly Sasavicz (Massillon, Ohio/Massillon) on an RBI hit by seniorKatie Gildow (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine).

Sophomore Katelyn Beddow (Lexington, Ohio/Ashland), who was 4-for-9 at the plate and didn't make an error in three games at third base, Montgomery and Zorn were named to the All-Tournament Team. The Tigers concluded their season with a 20-15 overall record, the fourth time in the last six years that Wittenberg won 20 games in a season, and an NCAC mark of 10-4, the third time in the last five years that the Tigers have reached double digits in conference wins.