Tigers Add Two Wins to Their Record in Hot Start

Winter Haven, FL - Wittenberg Softball played two more games in Florida at The Spring Games after waiting out a lengthy weather-related delay. The Tigers' first game was against Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) rival Mount Union, and Wittenberg took the lead in the bottom of the first inning and remained in the lead at the end of every inning the rest of the way, ultimately earning a 6-4 win. With the win, the Tigers moved to 2-1 on the season, while Mount Union fell to 3-2 on the young season.

Stepping into the circle to start the game for Wittenberg was Julie Hall (Powell, OH / Bishop Watterson), who threw four innings, allowing seven hits and three runs, two of which were earned, and struck out one batter. Lilly Shaw (Washington Courthouse, OH / Washington), but was unable to get an out, so she was then relieved by Lilly James (Troy, OH / Troy). James threw the last three innings for the Tigers, allowing no hits while striking out two and walking only one.

Wittenberg started the scoring in the first inning with a double from Diana Quevedo (La Quinta, CA / La Quinta) into centerfield that plated two runs for the Tigers. Both teams were held scoreless in the second, but Mount Union broke through with a run by way of an RBI single in the third and came back to score two more in the top of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead.

The lead for the Purple Raiders was short-lived as the Tigers went on to tie the game up in the bottom of the fourth on an error off the bat of Gada Bryant (Westville, IL / Bismark Henning) that allowed the tying run to cross the plate. The Tigers then took the lead back off a Julia Burch (Dublin, OH / Jerome) single that plated another run to put the lead at one. Another error in the field for the Purple Raiders allowed Hanna Ecker (Heath, OH / Heath) to reach first and Burch to come in to score on the same play. The Tigers took a 5-3 lead into the fifth after Mount Union tried to make a comeback bid.

In the fifth, Mount Union made a push again, scoring on a groundout to plate a run, but they were stifled after that for Wittenberg to hold onto a one-run lead. They were able to add an insurance run in the bottom of the inning on another error by Mount Union in the field that helped Rebekah Giel (Amelia, OH / West Clermont) cross the plate to make the lead 6-4. Without another run being scored in the sixth or seventh, the Tigers took their second win of the season in the first game of Day 2.

Game One Team Leaders

• Burch and Ecker each recorded two hits with five other players recording one.
• Burch and Giel led the team in runs with two apiece, while McCans and Ecker each accounted for one.
• Quevedo led the team in RBIs with two from the first inning and the only player to draw a walk was Audrey Fyffe (Springfield, OH / Kenton Ridge).

Game One Team Comparison

• Wittenberg had nine hits to Mount Union's seven and the Tigers only commited one error to the Purple Raiders' four.
• The Tigers recorded two extra base hits, compared to none for Mount Union.
• Wittenberg also turned two double plays.

Game Two

In the second game, the Tigers squared off with another OAC rival in the Ohio Northern Polar Bears as they looked to wrap up an undefeated Day 2 at The Spring Games. Wittenberg did exactly that, winning by a score of 10-5 to improve to 3-1 on the young season. With the loss, Ohio Northern dropped to 1-2-1.

Wittenberg got off to another hot start, scoring three runs in the first inning to quickly take control of the game. It started with Burch scoring on a passed ball after Fyffe fouled out that also advanced Ecker to third. That was followed up by a two-run homer to right field from sophomore Kirsten Wright (Springfield, OH / Kenton Ridge) to cap off the three-run inning. In the second, another Tiger scored, this time on a bunt single by Kaela May (Tipp City, OH / Tippecanoe). The Tigers were able to build up a five-run lead after three innings when Wright followed up her home run with an RBI triple to score Burch.

After three shutout innings from Samantha Zungri (Canal Winchester, OH / Canal Winchester), Ohio Northern started to go on a run. In the fourth inning, the Polar Bears scored five runs, three of which came on errors, another came on a steal of home, and the last came on a passed ball. Before the inning ended, James entered in relief again, and she allowed only two hits, two walks, and struck out five and three and one-third innings of work.

While James kept Ohio Northern scoreless for the remainder of the game, the Tigers continued to score. In the fifth, McCans scored after Ecker reached on an error. Then, in the sixth, May hit another single to drive in two runs and Ecker was walked with the bases loaded to add another run. Then, in the seventh, the Tigers made it a five-run game when Burch was also walked with the bases loaded.

Game Two Team Leaders

• McCans lead the team in hits with three and five other players had two each.
• Wright and May shared the team lead in RBIs with three apiece.
• Burch, Giel and May led the team in runs with each of them crossing the plate twice.
• Giel and Burch also led in steals with two each while McCans and Ecker each added one.

Game Two Team Comparison

• Wittenberg had more than twice as many hits as Ohio Northern, with 15 to their seven.
• The Tigers had six stolen bases to the Polar Bears' three and seven Polar Bears struck out compared to only one Tiger.
• Wittenberg also logged three extra base hits and Ohio Northern had none.

Quote-Head Coach Ashley Goodwin

"Our team delivered a remarkable performance today, sweeping two crucial games with outstanding execution. Our pitching staff kept us in the game, showcasing their skill and composure in the circle. Offensively, we saw an explosion of extra-base hits, capitalizing on every opportunity with runners in scoring position. Our aggressive base running added to our momentum, as we consistently took extra bases and kept pressure on the defense. These two wins are a testament to our hard work and determination, and we look forward to building on this success."

The Tigers will return to action on Wednesday, March 12th for another two games. They will take on Suffolk at 9:00 AM and Carthage at 11:15 AM.