Tigers Take Two in Home Finale
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - On a day to celebrate the accomplishments of a pair of Tiger fourth-year standouts playing in their final regular season home games, it was junior Haley Gerken (Logan, Ohio/Logan) who shared in the spotlight with a walk-off two-RBI double in a 3-2 Game 1 victory over Oberlin. The Tigers then backed up their Game 1 exploits with a 2-1 win in the second contest to claim their first doubleheader sweep of the season in their eighth try.
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - On a day to celebrate the accomplishments of a pair of Tiger fourth-year standouts playing in their final regular season home games, it was junior Haley Gerken (Logan, Ohio/Logan) who shared in the spotlight with a walk-off two-RBI double in a 3-2 Game 1 victory over Oberlin. The Tigers then backed up their Game 1 exploits with a 2-1 win in the second contest to claim their first doubleheader sweep of the season in their eighth try.
Down 2-0 heading into the sixth, the Red & White halved the deficit with an RBI single from Jade Chivington (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine). An inning later, both of the first two batters reached safely before a sacrifice from junior catcher Emily Rudman (West Lafayette, Ind./West Lafayette) set the stage for Gerken's heroics. A line drive down the left field line scored the winning run for the Tigers and gave junior starting pitcher Brooke Boswell (Hamilton, Ohio/Fairfield) a much-deserved first win of the season.
In Game 2, the story was the senior in the circle, as Rachael Hatcher (West Carrollton, Ohio/West Carrollton) made perhaps her last outing at Betty Dillahunt Field. After settling in, Hatcher overwhelmed the Yeowomen with seven strikeouts to pick up her eighth win of the year. She joins senior first baseman Julie Ziegler (Sandusky, Ohio/Perkins) in celebrating the final home games in their illustrious careers.
Importantly, the Tigers revived their role in the NCAC postseason hunt with a record that improved to 3-3 in NCAC play and 11-17 overall. Before NCAC play resumes, the Tigers head to Ada, Ohio to take on Ohio Northern University for a 3:30 p.m. visit this Tuesday, April 14.
Written by: Ben Bradley, SID Assistant