Kelley, Gaines Lead Scots to a Split with OWU

Juniors Andrea Kelley and Rachel Gaines each smacked two-run singles in game one of a North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader, leading The College of Wooster softball team to a split against Ohio Wesleyan University Saturday afternoon. The Fighting Scots (5-29, 3-7 NCAC) won the opener by a single run 4-3, while the Battling Bishops (19-10-1, 4-2 NCAC) erased a 3-1 deficit to take game two 6-3 at Margaret Sagan Field.

After falling behind 3-2, Wooster began to mount a rally in the top of the fifth inning. Kim Skully, Priscilla Staples, and Kelley reached on a double, fielder's choice, and a walk, respectively to load the bases with nobody out. The next batter was Gaines, who singled to right field plating Skully and Staples with Wooster's third and fourth runs of the game.

With the Fighting Scots clinging to their new one-run advantage, Kelley set the Bishops down 1-2-3 in both the home half of the fifth inning. In the bottom of the sixth, the hosts tried to start a comeback attempt putting together back-to-back singles to start the inning, but Kelley got out of the jam getting Sarah Truchan via a swinging strikeout. In their final at-bat, Kelley again set the hosts down in order to seal the win.

In the nightcap, Ohio Wesleyan turned the tables on Wooster. Trailing 3-1, the Battling Bishops flipped the tide in their favor with five runs on five base hits in the sixth inning for the final 6-3 score.

Wooster got on the scoreboard manufacturing its runs with single tallies in the first on a sacrifice fly from Caitlin Gaffney, an unearned run by Staples in the third, and a run-scoring single from Kelley in the sixth.           

Offensively for Wooster, Kelley finished 3-for-7 with three RBI, while Gaines was 3-for-6 with two runs knocked in. Gaffney also collected three hits and a run batted in, while Staples was 2-for-7 with three runs scored.

Kelley improved her record to 3-13 overall this spring, taking the victory in game one. She allowed three runs on six hits, posting five strikeouts and two walks, while Ohio Wesleyan's Rachel Seibel, who came into the game with a 12-2 mark on the spring, took the loss. She surrendered four runs on eight hits, setting down 10 batters via the strikeout and handed out two walks.

Senior Katie Pifer suffered the defeat in the second game for Wooster, giving up six runs on nine base knocks, recording three strikeouts and two walks. Britt Rhea notched the victory for Ohio Wesleyan, as Wooster notched three runs on nine hits off the first-year hurler, while she recorded three strikeouts and two walks.

Ohio Wesleyan's balanced attack was paced by Tara VanVranken, who finished 4-for-6, including 3-for-3 in the opening contest, with an RBI and two runs scored, while Truchan was 3-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored.

Wooster steps out of conference play for the final time in the 2009 season with a doubleheader at Bethany (W. Va.) College (17-13) on Sunday with first pitch set for 1 p.m.