Despite the freezing temperatures in Greencastle, Ind., DePauw University's softball team provided Tiger fans with hope of spring, as they opened their 2014 season this weekend in Tennessee.
DePauw played back to back doubleheaders against Rhodes College and Maryville College, with all four games being played at Rhodes' Lynx Field.
The weekend started off to a good start for DePauw as they defeated Rhodes 8-3 in their opening game on Saturday.
DePauw jumped out to an early 2-0 in the first-inning as sophomore catcher Sammi Bell drove in both runs with a double.
"I feel like it was important for us to start the season strong," said junior infielder Taylor Golden. "We have worked hard throughout the offseason, we knew it would pay off."
The Lynx cut the DePauw lead to one in the bottom of the second, thanks to a home run from Rhodes senior Courtney Williams. However, DePauw would get the run right back as sophomore first baseman Linsey Button doubled home Golden to put the Tigers up 3-1.
From there, the Tigers were off and running thanks to the work of starting pitcher junior Kahla Nolan.
Nolan went the distance, giving up six hits and striking out six Lynx while only surrendering three runs.
A pair of late insurance runs stretched the Tigers' lead to 8-1 and DePauw would go on to win 8-3.
The second game of the Tigers' doubleheader came against Maryville College. Though the contest did not start as well for the Tigers, the outcome was still the same.
Maryville took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on a single to right from junior center Kalyn Jones.
The Tigers tied the contest in the bottom of the fourth and put the game away in the bottom half of the fifth with eight runs. The big blow was a two-run homer by sophomore Hailey Freres that stretched the DePauw lead to 9-1.
"It wasn't a single person," said first-year outfielder Julia Waggoner. "We were just stringing together base hits, and everyone was doing their job and getting a piece of the ball. It was a team effort."
With Maryville unable to score in the bottom of the fifth, the Tigers went on to win thanks to the mercy rule.
This time it was sophomore pitcher Haleigh Chasteen who provided the solid effort on the mound for the Tigers. Like Nolan, Chasteen pitched a complete game, giving up only four hits and striking out two.
"I feel like if we focus on each pitch, we will be really successful," Chasteen said. "If we can just keep batters off balance, our defense and offense will take care of the rest."
The Tigers were back in action on Sunday, when they once again took on Maryville and Rhodes in a doubleheader.
DePauw opened up their Sunday slate of games against Maryville, and it was DePauw's solid pitching that carried the Tigers once again.
Chasteen picked up her second win of the weekend and recorded the third complete game of the weekend for DePauw, as she scattered four hits and one run over the seven-innings.
DePauw struck first with two runs in the bottom of the second thanks to RBIs from senior Megan Landahl and sophomore Grace Hendrickson.
The Scots cut the DePauw lead in half in the top of the third as Merryville sophomore Megan Mihaliak scored on an errant throw by Bell.
However, DePauw would get the run right back in the bottom half of the inning when Button sent a ringing double to right-center that scored Golden. DePauw would go on to win their third straight game by a score of 3-1.
The bats that helped the Tigers collect a pair of wins the day before, went silent during DePauw's final game of the weekend as Rhodes shut them out 3-0.
The hosts scored one run in three different innings with the exclamation point coming on a blast in the bottom of the third by senior Jessica Brown that pushed the Lynx's lead to 2-0. Brown would also drive in an insurance run in the fifth that stretched their lead to three.
Nolan went the distance in a losing effort for the Tigers, giving up seven hits and striking out four while surrendering only two earned runs.
DePauw returns to action on March 1, when they travel to Atlanta to take on Messiah College in a doubleheader held at Emory University.