Tigers Drop Pair To NCAC Leader Denison
The youthful Wittenberg Tigers gave preseason North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) favorite Denison a good battle over the course of four hours, but in the end the Big Red came up with a pair of victories by scores of 3-1 and 10-7.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 1 |
|
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0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 3 |
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SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The youthful Wittenberg Tigers gave preseason North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) favorite Denison a good battle over the course of four hours, but in the end the Big Red came up with a pair of victories by scores of 3-1 and 10-7.
The losses dropped the Tigers to 8-15 overall on the season, including a mark of 2-2 in the conference. The Big Red improved to 19-5 overall and 4-0 in the NCAC to take firm control of the 2011 regular season title chase.
In the opener, a sterling performance from freshman pitcher Caitlin Gowins (Coshocton, Ohio/River View) kept Wittenberg in the game, but the Tigers were unable to come up the big hits to pull out the victory. Gowins went the distance, allowing six hits and just seven baserunners total. But three errors in the first inning opened the door to a pair of Big Red runs, and Denison added the insurance tally in the third.
After that, Gowins dominated the top hitting lineup in the NCAC, but the Tigers managed just a single tally in the fifth inning. Junior Fallon White (Fairborn, Ohio/Northmont) scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Katelyn Davis (Bethesda, Ohio/North Union).
After the two teams scratched out just 11 hits between them in the first game, the nightcap turned into a slugfest when Denison scored eight times in the fifth inning. Wittenberg responded with four in the bottom of the frame to stave off a run rule decision, but ultimately the Tigers were unable to climb all the way back from a 10-2 deficit.
Senior Jessi Allen (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) banged out three hits in three plate appearances, scoring a run and driving in another, while freshman Rachel Ross (Westerville, Ohio/South), freshman Shelby Ross (Springfield, Ohio/Kenton Ridge) and junior Jessica Snyder (Northfield, Ill./New Trier) each finished with two base hits. Snyder contributed a triple and finished with a run scored and an RBI.
The Tigers get back in action at home Saturday against Hiram in another pivotal league match-up. First pitch at Betty Dillahunt Field is slated for 1 p.m.