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| Lauren Swinehart |
The College of Wooster was topped 5-4 and 3-0 in its doubleheader games against Otterbein College on Friday, despite taking an early lead in the opener behind Lauren Swinehart's team-leading third home run at Westerville, Ohio.
In game one, Otterbein (9-5) scored an unearned run in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead, but the Scots (7-9) were able to tack on some runs in the third. Rachel Frank got the inning started with a single through the right side, and two batters later, Erica Villa reached base on an error. Next up was Swinehart, who smashed a three-run homer to left-center field to put Wooster ahead 3-1.
After Jenn Horton retired three Otterbein batters in a row to end the third, the Scots added an insurance run in the top of the fourth, as Gwen Davis led off the inning with a single, stole second, and later came around to score on an error which made it 4-1 Wooster.
Otterbein's Brooke Albright responded with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to draw the Cardinals within one (4-3), but Wooster appeared poised to extend its lead further in the fifth. Horton and Caitlin Gaffney both got on base to start the inning, but Chelsea Burns forced a lineout, and a pair of groundouts, to get Otterbein out of the jam unharmed.
Wooster allowed one run each in the bottom of the fifth and sixth inning, with the latter being a two-out home run by Calli Studebaker that wound up as the game-winning run.
The second game was a pitching duel that was won by Otterbein's Kelsey Long, who allowed just four hits and struck out six batters. Wooster's Gina Pirolozzi had a nice outing as well, striking out four and scattering seven hits while giving up just one earned run.
On the day, Swinehart and Frank led Wooster at the plate, as the duo each recorded a hit in both games. Horton reached base all four times in the opener, totaling a hit and three walks, but settled for a 0-for-3 line in the nightcap.
Next up, Wooster visits Baldwin-Wallace College (9-3) on Monday, with the first pitch scheduled for 3:30 p.m.