As a steady drizzle descended on DePauw's softball field, Centre College (13-21, 5-11) was not the only obstacle the Tigers (23-7-1, 10-4) overcame to earn the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference top seed in the east division for the conference tournament.
Fighting a mix of rain, wind and chilling temperatures the Tigers fought hard for two wins on Saturday as both teams struggled upholding a high quality of play. DePauw was able to capitalize on nine total errors from the Centre defense in order to secure 10-2 and 16-8 victories.
In the 10-2 game one victory, the rain started early in the second inning. But the Tigers were able to score in each inning to end the game with a run-rule, which tips the game in favor of the team holding a lead of eight after five innings. The rain did not let up and Coach Bonnie Skrenta chose to start back-up pitcher, freshman Megan Landahl, in relief for sophomore Emily Bichler.
Landahl came into the game and struggled mightily with keeping the Centre offense off-balance.
The Colonels scored five runs off of six hits in one and one-third innings since Landahl's pitches were not breaking as they reached the plate. Skrenta attributed Landahl's struggles to the cold weather.
"Things can spiral pretty out of control when you're cold and wet and not feeling in a rhythm," Skrenta said. "I think it had pretty big effect on the end of the second game as well because everyone just wanted to get off the field."
Centre totaled nine errors, and DePauw finished the game with just one. The Tigers scored seven runs in the fourth inning and six in the sixth to end the game as the Colonels committed six errors in those two innings alone.
On Sunday, sunshine and blue skies made for a higher quality of play as just one error was committed in both games compared to the ten the day before.
Bichler threw two complete game shutouts as the Tigers won by scores of 8-0 and 3-0.
In the two games, Bichler walked just one batter while striking out nine as she and the catcher, junior Haley Buchanan, worked very well together to keep the Colonel batters out of rhythm at the plate.
"Haley is in love with my drop-ball so we threw that thing like nobody's business," said Bichler. "I think control was really important, people weren't ready for it. I think that change-up speed is really important as we go into the tournament."
Bichler's ability to throw the off-speed pitch over the plate for strikes and mixing in her fastball caused Centre batters to hit weak ground balls in the infield for easy outs.
On the offensive side in Sunday's games, the Tiger offense swung aggressively in game one and compiled eleven hits for eight runs as the game ended in the sixth inning on a run rule. The offense was highlighted by a bases-loaded three-RBI double by junior Rachel MacBeth.
The Tiger bats could not be as aggressive in game two as they were in game before. Centre freshman pitcher Emily Landherr kept the Tiger bats at bay, using off-speed pitches which the DePauw offense consistently swung early on for foul balls.
"They did a really nice job in the first game about jumping on the ball early," Skrenta said. "In the second game, we did well in waiting for a strike and being OK with getting on first base."
DePauw drew eight walks off Landherr and executed three sacrifice bunts to move runners into scoring position, one of which included power-hitting catcher Buchanan.
"We like to be a very versatile team," Skrenta said. "Haley Buchanan hits homeruns, but today in a key situation, she was unbelievable in laying down the sacrifice bunt."
Buchanan leads the team with nine homeruns, but Skrenta's everyday game plan of scoring every inning calls for everyone in the lineup to sacrifice their bat if there is a runner on base with no one out. In this strategy, the pressure is put on the opposing defense to field the ball cleanly, which often produces errors, allowing the Tigers to snag a big-scoring inning.
The Tigers will look to use their small-ball strategy and efficient pitching Friday at the conference tournament on DePauw's softball field. The Tigers, with their first-place seed, will face the winner of Millsaps College (16-22, 10-6 SCAC) and Centre at 4 p.m.