The 2014 DePauw Tigers softball season more than halfway completed, and the team is still undefeated in the North Coast Athletic Conference play.
After sweeping the Battling Bishops of Ohio Wesleyan University by scores of 5-2 and 7-2 Wednesday, the Tigers are a remarkable 8-0 when going up against NCAC teams.
In the first game of Wednesday's double-header, the Tigers scored three runs in the first inning, with sophomore Grace Hendrickson scoring the first RBI of the game.
Shortly afterward, sophomore Linsey Button scored a two-run double, giving the Tigers the 3-0 lead. Button is in her second successful season with the Tigers program.
As a freshman in 2013, Button started 36 of 38 games and made the All-NCAC First Team. She was tied for third on last year's team with 36 total hits and was second for doubles and home runs.
Button has kept up her stellar performance this year, with a .303 batting average and 14 RBI's in 28 games played.
Junior Jennifer Ridge agreed that the freshman class has contributed a lot to the team's success this year.
"During our games against Ohio Wesleyan, we played as a team," Ridge said. "No one hit won the game, although Sammi Bell's home run didn't hurt. Everyone came to hit, and we were finally able to break past our four run max against conference teams."
Though the Battling Bishops came back with a solo home run in the second inning of the first, they were never able to catch up with the Tiger's first-inning steam. Nevertheless, the Tigers got some reinforcement runs at the bottom of the third inning, with first-year Gabby Smart singling to score two runs.
Button had similar things to say about the team, citing the team effort as something as importance.
"I'm most proud of the fact that all of our games have been a team effort," Button said. "We had eight seniors graduate this past year, and the underclassman have really stepped up and assumed the roles we needed. Everyone from this senior class to the new freshman class has had an a great impact on our success this year."
Smart now has nine RBIs in her this far in her freshman year. With the 5-1 lead, the Tigers were able to cruise to their 16th win of the 2014 season. Junior pitcher Kahla Nolan, who was recently awarded NCAC player of the week, recorded her 13th win of the season.
In the second leg of the Ohio Wesleyan double header, the Tigers saw similar success, despite an early Battling Bishops lead. The Tigers tied a 2-1 score in the third inning, when sophomore catcher Sammi Bell scored freshman Beth Chelmowski on a grounder. Bell scored again in the bottom of the sixth inning, this time on a solo home run. The Tigers then rallied to score four more runs in the inning. Bell finished the contest with two runs and two RBIs.
The Tigers will travel to Oberlin, Ohio to compete in a double header against the Oberlin College Yeowomen Saturday in addition to a double header against John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio.