The DePauw Tigers softball team saw success Saturday, as they hosted the Aurora University Spartans in their first home games of the 2014 season.
The Tigers swept the Spartans in the doubleheader, with game one resulting in a 4-3 score. In the second game, the Tigers had a fourth inning surge en route to a 7-2 victory.
In game one, DePauw got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the first, on an RBI single from sophomore Haleigh Chasteen, scoring junior Jennifer Ridge.
The Spartans responded in the second inning when a pinch runner scored off a DePauw error to tie the game.
Aurora then grabbed the lead in the third inning, but DePauw's sophomore Grace Hendrickson was quick to tie the game as she exploited a Spartan throwing error in the bottom of the third to score.
DePauw then scored twice more in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead, which a home run in the fifth inning would cut the Tiger's lead to one run. The game ended 4-3, a Tiger victory.
"[Pitcher] Kahla Nolan, improves with each inning she pitches," Hendrickson said. "My favorite part of the game was when she struck out the final batter of the seventh inning with two outs and two runners in scoring position, leading us to our 4-3 victory."
Nolan, a junior, gave up just one earned run over seven innings.
In game two, the Spartans came out strong, giving the Tigers a run for their money. In the second inning, the Spartans had the bases loaded, but DePauw fought back with a Nolan strikeout.
However, the Spartans managed to score a run at the top of the third inning, taking the lead 1-0. DePauw rebutted in the bottom of the third, after a Spartan defensive error allowed freshman Julia Waggoner to score a run.
The fourth inning resulted in the Spartans scoring their second run, but DePauw again responded with two runs of their own, giving them a 3-2 lead going into the fifth inning.
DePauw swept the fifth and sixth inning, scoring two runs in each inning, resulting in a 7-2 win over the Spartans.
The Tigers were excited to finally be playing at home after 10 straight games on the road.
"With the construction and snowy weather, we haven't been able to reach our field since last spring, so it felt awesome to win on our home turf," Hendrickson said. "We really appreciated the parents and DePauw fans who came to cheer us on."
Senior Meghan Landahl had similar thoughts. In the first game, Landahl scored alongside Hendrickson in a two-run single by Ridge.
"It is always a great feeling to be able to play on your own dirt and have the support of our wonderful fans," Landahl said. "We went out with the mentality of protecting our house, and we achieved that goal against a very strong opponent."
Their next game will be in Angola, Ind. Saturday against Trine University.
