Scots Remain in Championship Contention, Split with Wittenberg, DePauw Heading into Sunday's Elimination Game Against Denison
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – After taking down No. 22 Wittenberg University 4-0 in the day's opener, The College of Wooster softball team stood one out away from making a direct appearance in the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship round, but a walk-off, two-run double by DePauw University spoiled the Fighting Scots' chances as they fell 4-3 on Saturday afternoon at Betty Doughman Dillahunt Field.
With the loss, Wooster (20-22, 10-6 NCAC) will play Denison University (26-16, 10-6 NCAC) at 11 a.m. in an elimination game, with the winner set to play DePauw (22-18, 13-3) at 1 p.m., and if necessary, at 3 p.m., in the championship round as part of the tournament's double-elimination format.
In the opener against Wittenberg (29-7, 15-1 NCAC), Wooster posted four runs in the top of the fourth inning in what was otherwise much of a pitcher's duel. After senior Linea Brouse popped up to first base, classmate Jenna Kendall stepped up with a one-out single to left field. Then sophomore Chelsea Copley, with the wind blowing straight out, hammered a two-run shot to center field for game-winning RBI. The homer marked the sixth of her career, standing tied for seventh-most in program history.
The Scots posted two more runs before the inning's end. Senior Rylee Bouillion reached on a walk before advancing to second after a drop-dead bunt single from first-year Taryn Kohlman. Coming through cleanly was sophomore Bridget Serrurier, who added the insurance runs with a hard-hit double down the left field line to score two.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, the Tigers threatened with runners at first and third, but junior Maddy Chase's velocity proved too much as she struck out Lauren Buelo to clinch the win.
Each run for the Scots was scored by four different players, while the quartet of Chase, Serrurier, Kendall and Copley each tallied two hits, followed by Kohlman's bunt single.
Chase earned her 11th win of the season, allowing five hits to go along with three strikeouts en route to her eighth career shutout, marking a tie for the third-most in the program's record books.
At that point, Wooster remained as the only NCAC team to defeat the 22nd-ranked Tigers all season, in fact, topping them twice on the year, including snapping their 14-game wining streak two weeks prior. Wittenberg went on to lose 2-0 to Denison in Friday's elimination game.
Against DePauw, Kendall led the Scots through a scoreless first four innings from the circle as Wooster tacked on three in the fifth, all with two outs down.
Chase reached on a tough hopper to the shortstop before Serrurier walked to bring first-year Marina Roski up to bat with a runner in scoring position. The shortstop connected on a single up the middle to score Chase, as senior Stephenie Little kept the momentum flowing, snapping on a pitch down the left field line to score Serrurier. Meanwhile, consecutive walks by Brouse and Kendall brought home Roski to cap the three-run inning.
A two-run bottom of the fifth brought the Tigers within striking distance, however. One inning later, DePauw, with a runner on third and one out down, thought they brought in the game-tying run on a sacrifice fly to left field, but a successful out on appeal call was made, as the Tiger's runner at third left early, bringing an end to the inning with Wooster still ahead 3-2 heading into the seventh.
After a scoreless top half of the frame, DePauw brought home the game-winning runs on a bases-loaded, two-out double to advance to the championship round, forcing Wooster into an elimination showdown with the Big Red as part of Sunday's opener.