WOOSTER, Ohio - The College of Wooster softball team dropped its opening game Wednesday afternoon against Oberlin College 4-3, but thanks to a superb pitching performance by the duo of senior Katie Pifer and junior Andrea Kelley, the Fighting Scots bounced back for a 6-2 win in the nightcap to salvage a split in the teams' North Coast Atlantic Conference doubleheader.

Wooster (3-25, 1-5 NCAC) fell behind early in the first game as the Yeowomen got to Scot starter Lauren Swinehart for three runs on five hits in the top half of the first inning. Offensively, the Scots got on the board, answering back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to draw within one. Swinehart led off the frame with a double down the left field line, and eventually came around to score, notching the first run for Wooster as part of a double steal. Junior Rachel Gaines provided the Scots with their other run, as she lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, plating classmate Priscilla Staples who had walked.

Each team picked up a run in the third inning. Gaines laced a one-out single down the third base line, and later motored around to touch home plate on a sharp single to center field off the bat of Caitlin Gaffney.

Over the final four innings, Swinehart and Oberlin hurler Michelle Zanni matched each other pitch for pitch over their complete-game duel, as neither team mounted much offense until the Scots came to the plate in the last half of the seventh. With two outs, Staples and Kim Skully smacked consecutive singles before Zanni induced a fly out to short to end the threat and the ballgame.

In the nightcap, Oberlin again grabbed the early lead in the top of the first, but Pifer worked out of a jam by snatching a liner hit back to her out of the air, and calmly tossing to third for the inning-ending double play.

Held in check for the opening three innings, the Scots' bats came to life in the bottom of the fourth. A one-out double by Skully and a subsequent walk by Gaines put runners on first and second before Kelley roped a two-bagger to left center, plating the pair.

Wooster tacked on one in the fifth and three more in the sixth with the big hit coming off the bat of freshman Samantha Bachelder who dropped in a two-run single to right field, giving Wooster a 6-2 edge. The first-year catcher aided the Wooster cause in the second game going 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored.

Pifer pitched the opening five innings, surrendering just two runs (one earned) on eight hits, striking out two and walking three. Her defense helped her out by tallying two double plays. Kelley tossed the final two innings in relief, scattering three hits for her first save of the season and second of her career.

Oberlin's Jen Sees suffered the loss in the circle for the visitors, going six compete innings, allowing six runs on eight hits, and walking three with two strikeouts.

Skully finished as Wooster's top hitter with three hits in seven at-bats, as well making a diving over-the-shoulder catch in the fourth inning of game one. Gaffney tallied three hits in her six plate appearances, while three additional Scots recorded two base knocks during the split.

The Scots' conference schedule continues on Saturday afternoon when they host Kenyon College (14-8, 3-1 NCAC) at 1 p.m.