Home Opener Features Tough Competition for Softball

The College of Wooster softball team had two big obstacles to deal with on Sunday in hosting seventh-ranked Case Western Reserve University and 13-win Muskingum University.

The Scots fell in both contests, losing 12-7 in game one versus Muskingum and losing 7-4 to Case in game two.

Most of the action in game one came in inning one as Muskingum put up a nine-spot in the top of the inning. However, Wooster got some of that back, scoring four in the bottom half.

After senior Kaydee Clark singled to bring home Wooster's first run, junior Sarah Lodge hit a bases clearing double to make it 9-4.

Both teams' bats went quiet until Wooster scored one in the fourth. Muskingum (13-5) created some distance in the sixth with their own bases clearing hit to make it 12-5.

Wooster then tried to rally with two runs in the seventh off an RBI double from Cate Barkdoll and a sacrifice fly from Lodge, but that was all they could put together.

Lodge ended with a team-high four RBI, while Julia Jennings and Emma Hetkey each went 3-for-4.

In game two, Wooster looked better against the seventh-ranked Spartans (15-2). In fact, Wooster held a 3-2 lead after four innings despite having only two hits at the time.

However, Case's three-run fifth inning was enough to secure the win as a pair of doubles brought in all three runs for the Spartans.

First-year Tori Conner was chased after the rough fifth inning. Before then, she held the Spartans scoreless in the third and fourth innings.

Conner ended up giving up four earned runs in 4.1 innings of work. Senior Lilly McLendon pitched the rest of the way.

Wooster cut the lead to one after a Jennings double scored Stephanie Griffin-Sanchez in the bottom of the fifth. However, that would be all of Wooster's offense as Case put up another run in each of the sixth and seventh innings.

Wooster had just four hits in the game, all of which coming from its first three batters of the lineup. Jennings finished 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI.

Wooster (6-10) will play their next eight games on the road, starting with a doubleheader at Baldwin Wallace University on Thursday.