Skye Patterson

WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster had DePauw University on its heels Saturday, but its 18 hits didn't translate on the scoreboard, as the Fighting Scots stranded 20 runners during 2-1 and 8-4 losses against the top-seeded team in the North Coast Athletic Conference.

The Scots (12-27, 3-13 NCAC) are no strangers to close games, as their 2-1 setback in today's opener marked the 14th one-run game they have been involved in this spring. They are 6-8 in those games, but this one, like most others, could have easily swung in Wooster's direction.

Georgia Hill scattered eight hits over seven solid innings and didn't allow an earned run, but Wooster miscues in the second and seventh frames gave the Tigers (23-15, 13-3 NCAC) a 2-0 lead with three outs to go.

As has been the norm in recent weeks, the Scots came alive in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs and no runners on, Wooster started its rally, as Stephenie Little and Taylor Raybuck hit back-to-back singles that put runners on first and second.

Next up was Skye Patterson, who smacked an RBI single to left field which plated pinch runner Kasey Fiedler and made it a 2-1 game.

That brought Paige Goldberg to the plate, and she connected on what appeared to be a game-tying hit to a gap in the outfield, but DePauw's left fielder made an impressive diving catch to record the final out.

The Scots were done in by one bad inning in the second game, as DePauw hung five runs on the Scots in the second frame to build a 5-0 cushion. Wooster outscored the Tigers 4-3 after that.

The problem for the Scots wasn't getting hits (they had 11), it was when the hits came, as they left 14 runners on base in their game-two defeat.

Overall, Patterson stood out going 4-for-7 with two runs batted in on the afternoon, while Raybuck (4-for-6) and Little (3-for-4) were also key contributors. Prior to the start of the doubleheader, the team celebrated its lone senior, third baseman Aundrea Atwell, who started 84 games during her career.