Gina Pirolozzi

WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster softball team dropped two highly-competitive games with Wittenberg University on Saturday, as the Tigers scored key runs late in both contests to pull away 6-3 and 7-3 in a North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader.

Wittenberg (11-18, 5-5 NCAC) struck first in game one, as they scored a pair of runs in the top of the third to take a 2-0 lead. The Scots (11-19, 3-7 NCAC) responded in the bottom of the third, though, as Lauren Swinehart smacked an RBI single to right field that scored Rachel Frank and made it 2-1.

After a harmless fourth inning, the Tigers batted through the entire lineup in the fifth, en route to a four-run frame. Down 6-2, Wooster made some noise in the bottom of the fifth, as Jenn Horton led off with a double, and Kelley Johnson smashed a single to center field, which rolled between the fielder's legs and allowed both Horton and Johnson to come all the way around and score.

In the circle, Gina Pirolozzi allowed just a single during the sixth and seventh innings combined, but Wooster's bats were unable to manufacture anymore runs resulting in a 6-3 setback.

In the first inning of game two, the Tiger's Laura Rose drove in a run on a sacrifice fly to give them a 1-0 advantage, but Wooster's Caitlin Gaffney drove in Erica Villa with a single to center field to tie the game in the bottom of the frame.

Rose went back to work in the third, as she smashed a three-run home run to put Wittenberg ahead 4-1. Then in the bottom of the inning, Pirolozzi cranked a two-run homer to deep left field which pulled the Scots within 4-3.

Wooster recorded just two hits from that point on, and Wittenberg added a run in the fourth, fifth, and sixth inning, to take the game 7-3.

On the day, Gaffney and Swinehart both collected three hits and an RBI. Wittenberg was led by Jessica Snyder, who went 6-for-7 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Wooster will host another doubleheader Wednesday against Oberlin College (2-21, 0-7 NCAC) at 3:30 p.m.