Softball Lets Two Slip Away
Wooster gets swept by Hiram despite solid pitching
HIRAM – The College of Wooster softball team saw two wins slip away on Thursday and were instead swept by Hiram College, 3-1 and 4-3, in North Coast Athletic Conference games on Thursday.
In game one, infield errors hurt Wooster and starting pitcher Jillian Meszaros, who pitched the complete game, struck out five, gave up four hits and did not allow any earned runs.
Offensively, Wooster's four hits came from its four and five batters as Cate Barkdoll went 1-for-2 and senior Sarah Lodge went 3-for-3. Each recorded a double as well.
Wooster's lone run came on a safety squeeze as Katie Mommers laid a bunt down to score Barkdoll in the fourth. That put Wooster ahead 1-0.
Hiram scored its first two runs in the bottom of the inning with two outs. A low throw from third to first allowed two runs to score. Then in the fifth, another two-out error made it a 3-1 game.
Hiram pitcher Darian Kanno struck out 10 to improve to 9-0 on the year.
In game two, an infield error kicked off a four-run inning for Hiram and erased a 3-0 Wooster lead.
In fact, it gave Hiram just its second baserunner of the game as starting pitcher Tori Conner had faced the minimum through four innings. She gave up her first hit with one out in the fifth.
Hiram got two more hits in the sixth including what would be the game-winning hit when Angel Santellan brought home two on a single to center field.
Like Meszaros, none of Conner's runs against her were earned as she pitched the complete six innings.
Wooster had solid hitting throughout with 10 hits and runs in the first, fifth and sixth innings but could not find the equalizer in the seventh.
Eight Scots recorded a hit and were led by a 3-for-4 performance from Julia Jennings. Jennings, Meszaros and Barkdoll each recorded an RBI.
Hiram moves to 12-6 and 2-0 in the NCAC, while Wooster drops to 5-13 and 0-4 in conference play. Wooster will look to figure some things out with some non-conference competition this weekend, competing in four games at Illinois Wesleyan's home tournament.