Posted by: Ryan Maurer

Norah Gillam

The Tiger softball team may be picking up steam at just the right time. Two North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader sweeps over rivals Ohio Wesleyan and Oberlin last week and a split with one of the preseason favorites, Wooster, on Tuesday put the Tigers atop the standings with a 5-1 record.

In the victories over OWU, the decisions were both dramatic and both by 3-2 scores. In the opener, the Tigers trailed 2-0 until the top of the seventh inning, when they scored three runs with two outs to take a one-run lead.Then sophomore Norah Gillam (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) finished what she started on the mound to earn her third win of the season.

In the nightcap, strong pitching, this time by sophomore Jen Fleming (Dayton, Ohio/Chaminade-Julienne), was a key to victory again. While Fleming was holding OWU in check on the mound, senior outfielder Beth Walters (Westerville, Ohio/Columbus DeSales) collected two hits and two RBI, one of which came on her NCAC-leading second home run of the season. Junior Carmen Montgomery (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) added two hits and a run from the leadoff spot.

Against Oberlin, the Tigers simply dominated. In the opener, Gillam tossed a complete-game one-hitter and also collected a pair of base hits. The offense scored eight runs to end things in the sixth inning, powered primarily by two hits and two RBI each from junior Kristen Hillebrand (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) and freshman Kelly Sasavicz (Massillon, Ohio/Massillon).

Against Wooster, the Tigers earned a very important doubleheader split behind Fleming's outstanding pitching in the second game. In the 3-0 victory, Fleming allowed just two hits while the offense got a lift from sophomore Katie Niemeyer (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay). In the opener, the Tigers fell 4-1 despite Gillam's complete-game pitching performance and her RBI.

In recognition of her outstanding performance last week, Norah Gillam was named NCAC Pitcher of the Week.

With warmer temperatures forecast for the weekend, the Tigers will try to thaw out with another important NCAC doubleheader on Saturday against Hiram and a road trip to Defiance on Sunday.

Next: 4/12 vs. Hiram, 1 p.m.
4/13 @ Defiance, 1 p.m.

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Matt Foster

It was a tough week for the Tiger baseball team, but all is well that ends well, as the saying goes. Wittenberg snapped a four-game losing streak with a doubleheader sweep of visiting Capital on Sunday.

Perhaps the biggest hit of the season was delivered in the bottom of the seventh inning in Game 1 of the Capital doubleheader. Sophomore Matt Foster (Granville, Ohio/Granville), who finished 10-of-21 with six runs, four RBI and a home run for the week overall, singled home sophomore Brandon Godzik (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) with the game-winning run and a 7-6 victory. In that game, freshman Steve Less (Sheffield, Ohio/Elyria Catholic) had two hits, including his first collegiate home run, and freshman K.R. Schlievert (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) had three hits and two runs scored from the leadoff position.

In the second game of Sunday's doubleheader, the Tigers built a 10-0 lead and hung on for a 10-6 victory. Senior Ryan Born (Marion, Ohio/Pleasant) led the offense with three hits, while Godzik added three RBI on a pair of doubles and sophomore Tom Pickering (Newark, Ohio/Catholic) chipped with two RBI hits as well.

The week started with a pair of losses to NAIA scholarship programs. On Wednesday, the Tigers were defeated by Ohio Dominican 5-1 at home and on Thursday, Cedarville hosted Wittenberg and claimed a 5-2 victory. Born had two hits and an RBI and senior Brian Robinson (Columbus, Ohio/Centennial) threw a complete-game in the loss to ODU, and freshman Adam Keller (Mechanicsburg, Ohio/Mechanicsburg) hit a home run against Cedarville.

On Saturday, the Tigers dropped both ends of a doubleheader to nationally ranked perennial powerhouse Wooster in a nonconference match-up by scores of 13-7 and 11-4. Foster went 5-for-8 with four runs scored in the two games.

This week is a big one for the Tigers, who get a shot at NCAA Division I University of Dayton on Thursday before heading back into NCAC West Division action at home over the weekend. Earlham visits for a pair of doubleheaders as the Tigers try to get back into a crowded division race. The top two teams in the standings make the NCAC tournament May 3-9.

Next: 4/10 @ Dayton, 3:30 p.m.
4/12 vs. Earlham (DH), 1 p.m.
4/13 vs. Earlham (DH), Noon

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Trevor Carlson

The Tiger men's lacrosse team worked its way above the .500 mark with a 2-1 week that included a 15-2 loss at perennial conference powerhouse Denison on Tuesday, a 12-4 victory over Marietta on Wednesday and a 16-0 shutout over Oberlin on Saturday.

The highlight of the week was clearly the offensive performance by sophomore Trevor Carlson (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington), who scored eight goals and added two assists for a total of 10 points against Oberlin. He had six goals in the first game between the two teams as well. In the most recent win over Oberlin, freshman Andy Joly (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet Jesuit) added four goals and two assists in the Oberlin victory.

In the loss to Denison, one of the preseason conference favorites, the Tigers got goals from juniors Hans Rydquist (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) and Eric Stenholm (Hinsdale, Ill./Central), and assists from senior Dan Patterson (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet Jesuit) and Joly.

In the win over Marietta, the Tigers scored three goals in each of the four periods to slowly pull away from the Pioneers in a game played at Mariemont High School in Cincinnati. Patterson showed the way on offense with three goals and two assists, while senior Spencer Dunning (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mariemont), Carlson and Joly each scored twice.

Patterson and Carlson rank sixth in the NCAC in scoring with 23 total points (3.29 per game) each. Carlson's 19 goals in seven games put him fourth in the conference in that category at 2.71 per game. Patterson is fifth in assists at 1.43 per outing after 10 helpers in seven games.

This is a big week for the Tigers as they take on Kenyon on Wednesday and Wooster on Saturday in a pair of NCAC contests. Last year's games with both teams were extremely close.

Next: 4/9 vs. Kenyon, 4:30 p.m.
4/12 @ Wooster, 1 p.m.

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Erin Kelly

The Tiger women's lacrosse team won its first game of the season last week, upending Oberlin 7-4 on the road on Saturday.

Sophomore Jenny Burns (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) led the offensive charge against the Yeowomen, scoring three goals. Senior Cara Romanowski (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley), who led the NCAC in scoring last year, added two tallies, sophomore Erin Kelly (Edina, Minn./Edina) chipped in with a goal and an assist and junior Katie Babcock (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) scored her first goal of the season.

For the season, Romanowski has 19 goals, putting her second in the NCAC at 3.80 per game and fifth in points with the same average. Burns ranks sixth in points with 18 and fifth in goals with 3.20 per outing.

Next: 4/9 vs. Earlham, 7 p.m.
4/11 @ Denison, 4:30 p.m.
4/12 vs. St. Vincent, 6 p.m.

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Casey Clagett

The Tiger tennis team just missed the NCAA Division III tournament last year. So this year, the team is playing one of the best schedules in the nation in hopes of improving the odds of making the national tournament for the first time as a team.

Last week, Wittenberg upended Wooster in nonconference action on Thursday 5-2 and then traveled to nationally ranked Washington University on Saturday for a tri-match with the host Bears and Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Wittenberg split those two matches, losing 5-2 to Washington University and winning 5-2 over Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Four of the Tigers' six singles players have winning records, led by senior No. 1 player Casey Clagett (Steamboat Springs, Colo./Steamboat Springs), who is 18-8. Other top singles records are owned by senior No. 3 player Eric Cusick (Lima, Ohio/Senior) (16-5), senior No. 4 player Mike Herzog (Springfield, Ohio/Northwestern) (11-9) and senior No. 5 player Ben Hodgkiss-Lilly (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) (12-6). In addition, freshman Shane Hutton (Charleston, W.V./Catholic) has a 9-9 mark at No. 6 singles.

All three doubles teams have winning records with at least nine victories on the campaign.

Next: 4/12 vs. Allegheny, 9:30 a.m.
4/12 vs. Earlham, 3:30 p.m.

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Shannon Oliphant

The Tiger women's team continued its extremely difficult 2003 schedule last week, defeating NAIA scholarship program Ohio Dominican 5-4 on Wednesday before losing twice at nationally ranked Washington University on Saturday.

Highlight after highlight continues to be turned in by senior Shannon Oliphant (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson), already a two-time second-team All-NCAC selection who is having a tremendous final collegiate season. Oliphant has the best record on the team and among the NCAC No. 2 singles players at 13-3 mark as she swept all three of her matches last week.

In addition, junior No. 6 singles player Deana Nowakowski (Uniontown, Ohio/Lake) checks in with a record of 8-5 and sophomore No. 1 singles player Emily Figel (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead) has a mark of 7-9. Two of the three doubles teams have winning records.

Next: 4/10 vs. O. Wesleyan, 4 p.m.
4/12 vs. Earlham, 9:30 a.m.
4/12 vs. Oberlin, 3:30 p.m.

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Dane Sandridge

The Tiger golf team is nearing the midway point of the 2003 season, with hopes that they will be able to climb into the upper echelon of the ultra-competitive North Coast Athletic Conference by season's end.

Last weekend, the Tigers finished seventh in the 16-team Kenyon Cup at Apple Valley Golf Club. Eight of the nine conference schools that sponsor men's golf as an intercollegiate varsity sport had a team entered, and the Tigers finished third among that group.

The Tigers' low scorer was freshman Dane Sandridge (Westfield Center, Ohio/Lodi Cloverleaf), who rallied from an 85 on the first day to post a team-best 76 on Day 2 to finish 21st in the tournament, which was played in frigid, windy conditions. Sophomore Andy Bonar (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) added a 163, good for 27th, junior Adam Knowlton (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) finished with a 166 (33rd), freshman Kristopher Schmelzer (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) carded a 169 (43rd) and freshman Clinton Anderson (Mechanicsburg, Ohio/Mechanicsburg) rounded out the top five with a 170 (48th).

Next up for the Tigers is the Denison Spring Invitational, where many of the NCAC schools will again be competing.

Next: 4/12-13 at Denison Invitational

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Joel Drake

The Tiger track and field teams hosted the Wittenberg Challenge Multi-Event last Friday and Saturday. No team scores were accumulated, and several teams opted against participating due to inclement weather.

Senior Joel Drake (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) had the highlight of the meet for the Tigers as he won the shot put with a personal-best throw of 48-4.75. He also claimed the blue ribbon for the discus with a toss of 145-6.

For his efforts, Drake was named NCAC Field Events Athlete of the Week.

The Tigers are back at home on the Earl F. Morris Track this Friday with a Twilight Invitational.

Next: 4/11 Tiger Twilight Invitational
4/12 Tiger H.S. Invitational