Hopkins' Three Homers Lift Tigers Over OWU

DELAWARE, Ohio—Wittenberg softball improved to 11-1 in NCAC play after a two-game sweep of the Battling Bishops of Ohio Wesleyan on Wednesday night. The Tigers are now 19-15 overall thanks to a three-homerun day by sophomore second-baseman Olivia Hopkins. Hopkin's career day at the plate featured a home-run in game one, followed up by a solo shot in the second inning, and a two-run homer to deep center-field in the fourth inning. Wittenberg took game one from OWU 9-4 and game two 10-7. Outside of Hopkins' three-homerun day, the Tigers received strong pitching performances from Chelsea Zang, Katelyn Niswonger and Abby Haab. Zang, who is coming off NCAC Pitcher of the Week honors, recorded the wins in both contests.

GAME ONE: Game one got off to a fast start for the Tigers, as freshman Elise Freeland led off the game with a solo-shot to left-centerfield to get Wittenberg on the board early. Katy Baumgartner managed to work an at-bat into a double to tack on two-more runs in the top of the first, as Wittenberg then led 3-0. Zang helped her own cause in the top of the second, singling home Hopkins. Victoria Toetz followed up the Zang RBI single with an RBI single of her own, pushing the score to 5-0 Tigers. Wittenberg would not score again until the top of the sixth, as Hopkins connected on her first long-ball of the day. Zang would exit after five innings of four-hit softball, surrendering no runs while striking out two, while Niswonger logged the final two innings for Wittenberg. OWU managed to plate a run in the bottom of the sixth, and three in the bottom of seventh, as Wittenberg came out on top 9-4. Wittenberg slugged 16 hits in game one, while Abby Curnutte led the Tigers with three hits in four at-bats.

GAME TWO:  Again, Wittenberg jumped on OWU in the first inning, totaling four runs after an Alex Gibson double went all the way to the center-field wall, and a Lauren Buelow single through the right-side plated two. Wittenberg would tack on another run in the top of the second, as Hopkins homered again to center-field, giving the Tigers an 5-0 lead. With a 6-3 lead in the third inning, Hopkins struck again with her third homerun of the day, giving Wittenberg an 8-3 lead. In the top of the seventh, Wittenberg tacked on one more run, as Hopkins recorded and RBI single to right-field, as the Tiger's won 10-7. Hopkins finished the day five-for-eight with three-homeruns and nine RBIs. Zang recorded the win in game two, her second of the day, after relieving Haab in the fourth inning. Zang went the final four frames for Wittenberg, striking out three while scattering four hits.

UP NEXT: Wittenberg is back in action on Saturday against Hiram at 1 & 3:00 P.M at Hiram.