Softball

Jade Chivington (with ball) and Brooke Boswell will take on greater leadership roles for the Tigers in 2009.

The Wittenberg softball team looks to return to North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) postseason play after what veteran Head Coach Becky Hall hopes was a brief hiatus in 2008. Entering her 11th year at the helm of the Tigers, Hall led the Red & White to a 23-13 record a year ago, the program's third consecutive winning campaign. However, a 7-7 mark in NCAC regular season play left the Tigers just outside the annual postseason tournament and the program's returning players hungry to take the next step this spring.

After losing two of their top position players to graduation, Wittenberg turns to senior Julie Ziegler (Sandusky, Ohio/Perkins) to lead the way in 2009. The first baseman finished third on the team last year in batting average with a .306 clip while amassing a resume that included 20 runs scored and 16 RBI.

A deep junior class provides both depth and experience in 2009, led by third baseman Jade Chivington (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) and outfielder Cameron Catalfu (Loveland, Ohio/Loveland). The duo started all 36 games together for the Tigers last season while combining for 34 runs scored and 51 hits. Catalfu, the 2007 NCAC Newcomer of the Year, also bolstered a strong Tiger defense that fielded .944 on the campaign, contributing a .977 average herself.

Dual threat Brooke Boswell (Hamilton, Ohio/Fairfield) proved in 2008 to be the most consistent arm in the Tiger pitching staff while also doing damage at the plate. Boswell's 92.1 innings pitched in 14 starts led Becky Hall's rotation, while her 1.90 ERA and 11 complete games placed her among the conference leaders. Boswell also led Wittenberg in both home runs (4) and runs batted in (31) a year ago.

Joining Boswell in what has the potential to be one of the best starting pitching rotations around is senior Rachael Hatcher (West Carrollton, Ohio/West Carrollton), who led the Tigers with nine wins in 13 starts, while striking out a team-best 60 batters, in 2008. Hatcher starts the 2009 season with 38 career wins, just five short of the school record, and 260 career strikeouts, which is just one shy of the school record.

A pair of juniors, Meghan O'Neill (Springfield, Ohio/Catholic Central) and Melisa Shock (Bellbrook, Ohio/Bellbrook) will also see time in the pitchers' circle for the Red & White.

A pair of junior catchers will likely split time behind the plate as Emily Rudman (West Lafayette, Ind./West Lafayette) and Liz Roby (London, Ohio/London) both saw significant action in 2008. The duo combined to make only five errors in more than 130 fielding chances.

Sophomore Jessi Allen (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) returns to play a key role in the Tiger infield after a bright freshman campaign in which she batted .294 with a team-best eight stolen bases.

Eight new faces joined the program in the offseason, bolstering the team's depth as Wittenberg searches for its first berth in NCAA Division III Tournament berth since 2003. The Tigers kick off the season with their spring break trip to Kissimmee, Fla., before returning to Ohio for their home opener from Betty Dillahunt Field against John Carroll University on Saturday, March 21.

Written By: Ben Bradley, SID Assistant
Photo By: Robert Gantt

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