Tiger Softball Rebounds with Two More Wins

BARTOW, FL - The Tigers started their fourth day of Spring Break games in Florida looking to bounce back from a one-run loss at the hands of the Carthage College Firebirds. Game 1 came against the St. Scholastica Saints, and both the offense and defense showed got back on the right track as the Tigers picked up the 9-2 victory. With the win, the Tigers moved to 5-2 on the season, while the Saints fell to 4-7 with the loss.

Samantha Zungri (Canal Winchester, OH / Canal Winchester) started in the pitcher's circle again for the Tigers and recorded her third win of the season as she threw a complete game. Zungri allowed seven hits and one walk, but the Saints managed just two runs, one earned, as Zungri struck out four batters in the game.

In a departure from previous games, the Tigers were not the first team to score as the Saints drove in a run with a single to right field with a runner on third to score a run in the top of the first inning. Wittenberg answered in the bottom of the inning with a two-run single from Hanna Ecker (Heath, OH / Heath) to take the lead. After the first inning, the Tigers continued their scoring. In the second, Meghan McCans (Arcanum, OH / Arcanum) drove in a run with a bunt single with a runner on third, and Kirsten Wright (Springfield, OH / Kenton Ridge) hit a sacrifice fly to score McCans. Adding a third run was Ecker, who drove in a run with a single into the outfield. After St. Scholastica scored in the top of the third with an RBI double to center field, the Tigers shut down the Saints' offense.

Wittenberg matched the Saints' third inning as Gada Bryant (Westville, IL / Bismark Henning) hit an RBI single to right field. The last runs were scored in the fourth as the Tigers plated two runs with an error to allow a run to score, and then Ecker recorded another RBI as Wirght crossed the plate on a groundout.

Game One Team Leaders

• Rebekah Giel (Amelia, OH / West Clermont) led the team in hits with four for a batting average of 1.000 for the game, and three other players recorded two hits each.
• Giel also led the team in runs with three, as McCans and Wright each added two.
• Ecker led the team in RBIs with four and Wright was second, as she plated two runs over the course of the game as well.
• McCans also added two steals and three other players stole one base apiece.

Game One Team Comparison

• Wittenberg recorded 12 hits to St. Scholastica's seven and had five steals to the Saints' two.
• Both teams' pitching staffs walked one batter and struck out four.

Game Two

After the win against the Saints, the Tigers took on the Beloit Bucs in search of another win streak. With a close 4-3 win, Wittenberg improved to 6-2, while the Bucs fell to 0-10.

Julie Hall (Powell, OH / Bishop Watterson) started in the pitcher's circle for the Tigers and grabbed the win for Wittenberg as she threw three and two thirds innings, allowing one run on five hits and a walk while recording two strikeouts. Lilly James (Troy, OH / Troy) came on in relief of Hall, and in three and a third innings, she allowed two runs on two hits, with four walks and two strikeouts.

At the plate, the Tigers once again struck first, this time in the top of the second as Bryant bunted to score Zungri. Zungri crossed the plate again in the fourth on a single from the starting pitcher, Hall. Beloit put their first run on the board by scoring a run on a fielding error by the Tigers.

In the fifth, Wittenberg put up two more on the board with an RBI double to center field from Wright and an RBI single from Audrey Fyffe (Springfield, OH / Kenton Ridge). Beloit almost came back in the bottom of the same inning by scoring a run on a bases loaded single and followed that up with a bases loaded walk before James and the Tiger defense held off the comeback to get the one-run win.

Game Two Team Leaders

• Fyffe paced the team in hits with two, while six other players notched one.
• Fyffe also drove in two runs, with Hall and Wright each adding one RBI each.
• Zungri led in both runs and stolen bases with two of each.

Game Two Team Comparison

• The Tigers had eight hits to the Bucs' seven, and Wittenberg had two extra base hits to none for Beloit.
• Wittenberg also led in steals, five to two, and four Bucs hitters struck out to the Tigers' three.

The Tigers return to action in Florida on Friday, March 14, as they take on Carroll at noon and Alfred at 2:15 p.m. to close out their Spring Break trip and opening week of the 2025 season.