Wooster Posts 3-5 Record Through Opening Week at Rebel Spring Games
The College of Wooster softball team opened the 2017 campaign down at Kissimmee, Fla. as part of the Rebel Spring Games function, with the Fighting Scots battling to a 3-5 record as they enter the second week of competition with eight games slated.
Wooster opened in style with a 7-2 win over the College of St. Scholastica (4-8). Junior Maddy Chase went the full seven innings, giving up two runs on seven hits to go along with eight strikeouts.
Wooster put up five runs in the first inning, highlighted by senior Jenna Kendall's two-bagger to left field which brought in two. Sophomore Bridget Serrurier logged two RBI on the day, going 3-for-4 from the three-hole while first-year Marina Roski put in a double dose of her own, tallying two RBI on a 2-for-4 performance at the plate.
Against Springfield College (9-1), the Scots dropped a 4-3 decision after nearly tying it after a two-run fifth inning, which cut the deficit to one. With three one and two outs in the top of the sixth, Springfield's Jordyn Moquin found herself out of a jam before a routine 1-2-3 top of the seventh.
Senior Stephenie Little brought in all three runs for the Scots, going 3-for-4 with three singles while Kendall hurled 3.1 innings from the circle with three strikeouts and as many walks.
Wooster rebounded in the following day's opener against Albright College (2-4), topping the Lions 8-2. Senior Linea Brouse opened the second inning with a double down the left field line before scoring on a RBI groundout from first-year Taryn Kohlman.
The very next inning, the Scots put the pedal to the medal, posting five runs behind a two-run single from Brouse and a two-run double from Kohlman. Sophomore Chelsea Copley went yard for the first time this season, capping off the Scots' scoring with a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth.
Again, Wooster split decisions on the day after losing the nightcap to Westminster College (Pa.), 5-4. Both teams posted two runs in the first inning, with Chase scoring from third on a wild pitch after bringing in Copley on a double to centerfield.
Kendall pitched three innings, giving up four runs - including two in the third - on five hits to go along with two strikeouts. Wooster battled back and ground out two runs with two down in the top of the fourth to tie it at four.
First-year Samantha Tromba doubled to left field before scoring on a single from Copley, who scored on a two-out single from Chase after stealing second base.
The Titans' (6-4) Courtney Dieterich scored the go-ahead run on a triple from Emily Lindsey, as Chase pitched the latter three innings, striking out two with three hits allowed.
In the Scots' 9-4 win over the University of Wis.-River Falls, Kendall went the full seven innings, allowing four runs on nine hits to go along with four strikeouts. Proving the most valuable offensive contributor was Chase, who went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI.
Eight different Scots tallied a hit on the day, with six scoring and five knocking in at least one run.
The Scots fell in the hole early against Mount St. Mary College (N.Y.) (3-7), which advanced to the NCAA Regional Tournament last season, going down 3-0 in the first and five through four innings. Brouse scored Wooster's lone run on a double from Kendall after reaching on a single to right center.
The Scots concluded the midway point with dropped decisions to Mount St. Joseph College and 18th-ranked Trine University on Saturday.
Against MSJ (8-3), the Scots held the Lions scoreless through five, with Chase posting a two-hit performance through four innings and Kendall taking over the reins at top of the fifth, hurling a 1-2-3 inning before letting in three in the bottom of the sixth.
Wooster responded with two in the top of the seventh. After being hit by a pitch and advancing to third on a double to right from Chase, Kohlman crossed home plate on a groundout RBI from Serrurier. Next up, Little singled up the middle to bring in Chase, but the buck stopped there as MSJ's Paige Kiesewetter closed out with a game-ending fielder's choice to take the win, 3-2.
No. 18 Trine (14-0), who advanced to the NCAA Super Regional at Angola, Ind. last season, shot out to a five-run lead before tacking on a sixth in the second inning. Brouse went 2-for-2 on the day and batted in the Scots' lone RBI in the third with a two-out single to center, bring in Roski who doubled to right center earlier in the inning. The Thunder claimed the decision, 11-1.
The Scots resume play on Sunday, March 19 against Washington & Jefferson University (0-0) as Wooster embarks on a five-day span that includes four doubleheaders before hosting the University of Mount Union (6-8) on March 30 starting at 3:30 p.m.