Women’s softball kept their pace for first place in the North Coast Athletic Conference standings as the Tigers swept a doubleheader after defeating Oberlin College by scores of 8-4 and 6-3 this past Saturday, which capped off a perfect week for DePauw softball after sweeping Ohio Wesleyan University earlier in the week.
Sweeping Ohio Wesleyan and Oberlin extended their win streak to six and improved their record to 12-14 overall and 6-0 in the NCAC.
On Thursday, the Tigers swept Ohio Wesleyan in their doubleheader by identical scores of 7-4.
In the first game against OWU, senior captain Gabby Smart, first-year Mina Shaw and junior Lauren Godden all singled in the first before sophomore Sidney Holler was struck by a pitch which advanced Smart to plate. Junior Megan Montgomery then reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Shaw.
The Battling Bishops fought back right away and evened the score in the bottom of the first and then grabbed a 4-2 lead in the second inning.
“Resiliency is something that DePauw softball really focuses on. Whenever a team grabs the lead, it is a goal to fight back right away to show our toughness, and we did against the Battling Bishops,” Shaw said.
DePauw put three more on the board in the third inning after first-year Abey Bass reached on an error, allowing first-year Alyssa Nowak to plate from third-base. Junior Kathleen Byers then pounded in a pair with a single and junior Liz Getz wrapped up the Tigers scoring in the fifth inning with a single that scored two additional runs.
“Our offense is very solid, we are able to produce many runs utilizing many different ways to get on base,” Kat Panos, sophomore said.
Sophomore Brooke Bandy improved to 4-8 after striking out six and walking none over 4.1 innings. “I focused on playing my game every inning and staying consistent for the team,” Bandy said.
In the nightcap, the Tigers totaled thirteen hits. Montgomery had three, while Godden and junior Emma Baldwin had two each.
The Tigers jumped on board by grabbing the lead in the first on Godden’s single that plated Getz who got on by hitting a double.
DePauw had a 5-2 lead in the third inning before Montgomery’s single in the fourth scored Shaw and Bass’ single in the sixth brought home Holler extended the Tigers’ lead to 7-2.
Ohio Wesleyan put single runs on the board in the sixth and seventh but failed to catch up to the Tigers, falling by a score of 7-4.
On Saturday, Oberlin captured a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but the Tigers fought back to tie it in the bottom half of the frame before taking a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the second.
The Yeowomen tied the score at 4-4 in the fourth inning but the Tigers grabbed the lead for good on Holler’s two-run single in the fifth inning and put two more on the board in the sixth on first-year Jordyn Fera’s bases loaded single that plated two runs.
Fera knocked three of the Tigers’ thirteen hits, while Montgomery and Smart added two each.
Smart wrapped up the weekend with a leadoff homer in the second inning of the last game against Oberlin.
The Tigers totaled seven hits in the last game, while Oberlin only had four.
DePauw softball continues to practice hard to keep up their winning streak. “It is important to emphasize the little things in practice because the little things are what makes or breaks a game, so we will continue to work hard every day to prepare for post-season,” Coach Hanrahan said.
Women’s softball travels to Wittenberg University on Wednesday for a double-header.