SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – March 14, 2021 – Hiram softball split a doubleheader on Sunday at Wittenberg losing game one 8-5 and winning game two 5-3.
GAME 1: Leah Valdez kicked off the scoring for Hiram after Mariah Sheffield was caught in a rundown allowing Valdez to score from third base.
Wittenberg scored eight runs between the first and fourth innings jumping out to an 8-1 lead. The Tigers biggest inning was the third when they brought three across the plate.
Wittenberg capped off their scoring in the fourth inning with Megan Niswonger hitting an RBI single scoring Julia Burch.
The Terriers bats would come alive in the fifth inning bringing four runners across the plate. Ryleigh Webb hit a single with Alexis Flroes scoring. Melissa Galindo reached first on an error scoring Abriann Schwartz. Lauryn Olguin picked up an RBI after walking scoring Webb. Finally, Giselle Behena lined out to center field resulting in Galindo scoring making it 8-5.
Katelyn Niswonger (3-0) went the distance picking up the win for Wittenberg. The senior pitched seven innings while striking out seven allowing no earned runs while picking up the win.
Bailey Scheck (0-1) took the loss for the Terriers.
GAME 2: A big first inning at the plate allowed the Terriers to grab an early 4-0 lead. Giselle Behena and Mariah Sheffield hit back-to-back RBI doubles that scored Leah Valdez and Behena.
Wittenberg took back two runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Nikki Hawkins hit an RBI double scoring Clara Anderson. Julia Burch hit an RBI single scoring Sam Lindsey cutting the Terrier lead to 4-2 after five innings.
Melissa Galindo added an insurance run for the road side hitting an RBI single scoring Larissa Baeza in the sixth inning.
In the closing inning Wittenberg tallied a run on a Clara Anderson RBI single that scored Elise Freeland making it 5-3. The Tigers comeback effort would fall short however, with Hiram taking game two.
The tandem of Morgan Finley and Jeskari Rodriguez were on the bump for the Terriers in game two. Finley pitched 2.1 innings giving up one earned run. Rodriguez (1-0) would take home the victory pitching 4.2 innings while allowing two earned runs and striking out two.
Valdez went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Behena went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Mariah Sheffield and Abriana Schwartz each went 2-for-4. Sheffield added an RBI and run with Schwartz also adding a run. Rebekah Lewan went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
The next Terriers contest will be on Saturday, March 20 against Carnegie Mellon with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
