After sweeping a doubleheader on March 18 against the Aurora College Spartans, the spring softball season is fully underway. DePauw continued improving to a 6-0 record after two games on Sunday, both of which showed off the team's offensive and pitching capabilities.
The opening game resulted in a 4-3 DePauw victory - the closest margin of victory for the team this season. Junior Emily Bichler opened on the mound, successfully giving two scoreless innings before a two-run third inning. Freshman Kahla Nolan relieved Bichler in the fourth to close out the game without surrendering a run.
Nolan improved to 2-0 on the season, adding one strikeout to the stat-line in her relief effort. Senior Jen Kosinski again displayed her clutch hitting ability when she doubled in the bottom of the fifth inning to give DePauw a two-run lead that it would hold until the conclusion of the game. The Tigers ended the game with 11 total hits.
The second matchup of the doubleheader highlighted DePauw's high offensive production capabilities as the Tigers won by a score of 8-0. Freshman pitcher Emily Dieckmann started the game by quickly dispatching the Spartans to bring up DePauw's stellar bottom of the first inning hitting performance.
Senior Rachel MacBeth opened the inning with a short single into left field before being driven in by Kosinski's two-run homer to deep left center. Kosinski's home run seemed to motivate the team as she rounded the bases and her teammates lined the fencing of the dugout. A combination of walked batters, stolen bases and excellent hits gave DePauw a seven-run lead out of the first inning. The inning marked one of DePauw's best team batting showings this season with six hits and seven RBIs.
After the poor fielding effort in the first inning, Aurora started the second inning with several substitutions before re-facing the DePauw offensive machine. Junior Amy Hallett continued DePauw's hitting expo with a solo home run - the only run that would come from the inning.
"When I go up to the plate, I don't think I just do my thing," Hallett said. "When I don't try too hard, that's when home runs happen for me."
The Spartans' changes looked to be somewhat successful, and they were able to retire the rest of the inning in order.
Dieckmann completed the game and continued her winning streak. She is 3-0 on the season after facing 23 batters and striking out three over the course of the game. Only a freshman, Dieckmann understands she has more to improve and knows where that improvement stems from.
"I think [it starts] in practice," Dieckmann said. "We have a really great new coach [in Coach Maya Ripecky] who has been working with the pitchers."
DePauw demonstrated the ability to perform as a team as another outing showed the ability to perform well as a team with yet another outing displaying well-rounded, tactical hitting and solid pitching outings. The team will continue play at home this Wednesday, March 21, at 3:30 p.m. with another doubleheader against Anderson University.