Clutch Defense, Solid Pitching Leads the Way in Series Split Against John Carroll

WOOSTER, Ohio – Three combined runs were scored between The College of Wooster's softball team and John Carroll University in Sunday's doubleheader at Galpin Park, as the Fighting Scots came away with a shutout 1-0 win in the opener only to be shut out themselves by a 2-0 final score in the nightcap.

In the opener, sophomore Bridget Serrurier reached base in the bottom of the first on a one-out double to right center and scored the winning run on a hard-hit single up the middle from first-year Marina Roski.

Junior Maddy Chase earned the complete game shutout, giving up four hits while striking out four. The win marked the 24th of Chase's career, tying her with 2009 alumna Katie Pifer for fifth-most all-time in program history. Of note, midway through the top of the fourth inning, 44 of Chase's 57 pitches were strikes.

Wooster (12-16, 3-3 North Coast Athletic Conference) relied on its pitching and defensive effort to close out the win, with Serriurer coming through in center field on a sliding catch with two on and one out in the top of the fifth. In the next at-bat, Chase forced a grounder to first-year Samantha Tromba at second base for the inning-closing out.

In the nightcap, John Carroll (10-10, 2-4 Ohio Athletic Conference) tacked on runs in the first and the third innings as first-year pitcher Kelly Geringer threw seven shutout innings on three hits allowed.

Hannah Mizener, who scored both runs for the Blue Streaks, crossed home after reaching on a leadoff double in the first inning and on a leadoff single up the middle in the third.

The Scots did well defensively to stay in contention late after a leadoff triple from John Carroll's Lindsay McKnight in the top of the sixth, who was later forced out at home on a fielder's choice to pitcher Jenna Kendall. Later in the inning, pinch runner Mikki Vance thought she accounted for the third run of the game before centerfielder Serrurier gunned her down on an 8-2 put-out to close the inning.

With senior Rylee Bouillion on first with one out in the bottom of the seventh, Geringer closed out the win after forcing a fly out to right field and a pop up to first base.

Overall, other notable achievements over the weekend included senior Stephenie Little moving into eighth-place all-time in program history in hits (121), and Kendall overtaking Little in the program's career RBI category, as the senior jumped into eighth-place with three RBI on the weekend, pushing her total to 66.

Up next, Wooster travels to Oberlin College (9-17, 1-5 NCAC) on Tuesday, April 11 with first pitch slated for 3:30 p.m.