All Releases Written by: Ryan Maurer
Director of Sports Information
E-Mail: rmaurer@wittenberg.edu

Wittenberg Spring Sports Athletes Claim 33 North Coast Athletic Conference Postseason Awards
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — A solid spring sports season has reaped individual rewards for 33 Wittenberg University athletes who were selected to All-North Coast Athletic Conference teams over the last two weeks. Read More ...

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Stephanie Zorn Named NCAC Softball Player of the Year CLEVELAND, Ohio — Wittenberg sophomore Stephanie Zorn (Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville) has been named Player of the Year and Wooster junior Natalie Barone (Akron, OH/St. Thomas Aquinas) and Ohio Wesleyan sophomore Claire Martin (Jefferson, OH/Jefferson) shared Pitcher of the Year honors to highlight the 2005 All-North Coast Athletic Conference softball selections. Read More...

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Erin Collinsworth

The 2005 Wittenberg softball team had a week of mixed blessings to round out the season.

A doubleheader sweep on Senior Day at Betty Dillahunt Field over visiting Oberlin on Saturday pushed the Tigers' over .500 in the North Coast Athletic Conference at 7-6. However, the Tigers' wound up one-half game short of the four-team NCAC Tournament, missing out thanks to a rainout at Kenyon on April 20. The season concluded with a pair of losses to visiting Capital on Tuesday that pushed the Tigers' overall record to a season-ending 11-24.

Against Oberlin, the final scores were 15-0 and 8-2 in favor of the Tigers.

Wittenberg came out swinging and buried the Yeowomen almost immediately in Game 1. Three runs were scored in the first inning, six more in the second, one in the fourth and five scores in the fourth rounded things out. On the other hand, freshman Taryn Hensel (Marion, Ohio/Ridgedale) was taking care of business in the pitchers' circle for the Tigers, scattering just three hits en route to a complete-game (five inning) victory.

Offensively, the Tigers had many standouts, starting with sophomore Erin Collinsworth (Springfield, Ohio/Catholic Central), who went 3-for-4 with three runs batted in and her first collegiate home run. In addition, sophomore Stephanie Zorn (Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville) added a 3-for-3 performance with three runs scored.

In Game 2, senior Norah Gillam (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) allowed a pair of unearned runs in the first inning before settling down to allow just two hits the rest of the game. The Tigers again had their hitting shoes on, pounding out 13 more hits, including three for senior Ashley Lands (Dover, Ohio/Dover) and two each for Zorn, Collinsworth and freshman Sarah Fetters (Maumee, Ohio/Maumee). Zorn's five hits in seven plate appearances Saturday.

Against Capital, the final scores were 5-3 and 5-1.

In the opener, Gillam took the pitching loss, allowing seven hits, two walks and four earned runs (of five scored). It was her 16th appearance of the season, all starts, and her 14th complete game. She led the Tigers with a respectable 3.11 earned run average. Offensively, the Tigers managed seven hits off Capital pitching, led by Collinsworth and freshman Amy Myser (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) with multi-hit games.

In Game 2, Hensel started and worked 6.2 innings before giving way to Gillam, who got the final out in her final appearance in the home Red & White. Hensel allowed 10 hits and one walk but just three earned runs (of five total). Offensively, the Tigers scratched out just three hits, with their lone run coming in the first as Zorn drove in Lands in the bottom of the first inning.

Next: Season Complete

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Stephanie Zorn

The 2005 Wittenberg softball team got just one doubleheader in since the last report, and it didn't quite go as planned. The Tigers are now 9-22 overall and 5-6 in the North Coast Athletic Conference after splitting a doubleheader with Hiram on Wednesday.

The game was rescheduled several times from its original April 23 date due to the wintry weather that buffeted the state over the weekend. The game was finally moved to Wooster as a neutral site to accommodate class schedules for both teams.

The Tigers picked up the win in the opener, 3-2, behind the pitching duo of freshman Taryn Hensel (Marion, Ohio/Ridgedale) and sophomore Grace Wigton (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian). Hensel went the first five innings and Wigton closed it out with two scoreless innings of relief, bailing the Tigers out of a bases loaded situation in the sixth inning. She picked up the win as the Tigers pushed the winning run across the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI groundout by sophomore Meghan Campbell (Marion, Ohio/Ridgedale). That chased home sophomore Stephanie Zorn (Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville), who had led off with a double and had moved to third base on a single by sophomore Erin Collinsworth (Springfield, Ohio/Catholic Central).

In the nightcap, Wittenberg lost 4-1 despite having senior ace Norah Gillam (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) in the pitchers' circle. Hiram banged out eight hits and collected three walks in the game, while the Tigers committed two errors to keep rallies going.

The Tigers' lone run was scored by Zorn off an RBI single by freshman Amy Myser (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington). The Tigers now must sweep last-place Oberlin at home on Saturday and hope that preseason favorite Allegheny does the same to Denison. If that happens, the Tigers will move ahead of the Big Red into the final NCAC Tournament spot.

Next: 4/30 vs. Oberlin, 1 p.m.

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Norah Gillam

The 2005 Wittenberg softball team is hanging in there, but it is now crunch time, starting with todays doubleheader at Kenyon College. The Tigers must sweep their three remaining North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheaders to qualify for the four-team tournament at seasons end, or else they will use the last few weeks of the season to begin building toward the 2006 season.

Since the last report on April 5, the Tigers have had their ups and downs, including three doubleheader splits against NCAC foes before losing a pair to conference-leading Wooster on Saturday. In two of the three splits, senior Norah Gillam (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) made the difference, willing the Tigers to victories in the getaway games against Denison and Allegheny with outstanding pitching performances.

Gillam has been the Tigers most consistent all-around performer in 2005. She leads the team with a 3.33 earned run average, a number inflated by three rough outings out of 13 starts overall, and a 5-8 pitching record. Against Allegheny, she tossed a two-hit gem in a 9-0 five-inning victory on April 9, and against Denison, she limited the potent Big Red to three hits and one earned run on April 12. With the bat, Gillam has rebounded from her struggles of a year ago to post a .344 batting average, third-best on the team. She leads the Tigers with five doubles and ranks third with nine runs batted in.

The Tigers offensive catalyst has frequently been sophomore Stephanie Zorn (Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville), who leads the team with a .366 batting average and 12 RBI. She also has the teams lone home run, one triple, four doubles and a team-best 18 runs scored.

Also of note has been the play of versatile sophomore Grace Wigton (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian), who has played several different positions. As a pitcher, Wigton has made 10 appearances and has posted a 4.39 ERA. Offensively, she has a respectable .299 batting average with seven RBI and six runs scored while starting 25 of the Tigers 28 games in 2005. In addition, on a team with defensive issues, Wigton has committed just four errors while recording a team-best 113 putouts and 16 assists. Her .970 fielding percentage is topped only Gillams .986 among the teams regular starters.

Next: 4/20 @ Kenyon, 3:30 p.m.

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Taryn Hensel

The 2005 Wittenberg softball team has gotten off to a rocky start to the season, but there is still plenty of time to turn things around, starting with a North Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader opener at Ohio Wesleyan on Wednesday.

Most recently, the Tigers lost three of four on a weekend trip to Michigan, but they did end up on a positive note as senior Norah Gillam (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield) tossed a complete-game 5-1 victory over Olivet.

The doubleheader split with Olivet put the Tigers at 4-16 at the halfway point of the season.

On Saturday, Wittenberg was defeated by perennial powerhouse Alma, 5-0 and 12-4, as defense once again betrayed the Tigers. Wittenberg's record is somewhat deceiving since the Tigers have played four nationally ranked teams in 2005 and were swept by two of the top teams in the Great Lakes Region in recent weeks (Alma and Bluffton).

Speaking of Bluffton, the Tigers went down to a doubleheader sweep, 2-0 and 2-0, against the Beavers in their home opener on March 30. That doubleheader came after an eight-day layoff. After starting the season 1-9 in the tough SunWest Tournament at Chapman University in Orange, Calif., Wittenberg lost 12-0 and 8-0 to nationally ranked Muskingum on March 19 and then rebounded for victories of 8-0 and 8-2 at Wilmington on March 22.

For the season, the Tigers' leading hitter is senior Ashley Lands (Dover, Ohio/Dover), who has collected 23 hits (22 of them singles) and has a robust .390 average. Batting out of the leadoff spot, Lands leads Wittenberg with a perfect 5-of-5 in stolen bases and she ranks second with 12 runs scored. Four lineup regulars are batting at least .300 this season, including sophomore Stephanie Zorn (Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville), who has the team's only triple and only home run while batting .310 with a team-leading 13 runs scored out of the cleanup position.

The team's pitchers have been victimized by too many defensive lapses. Gillam leads with a 3.00 earned run average and three of the team's four victories. She has allowed 59 hits, 20 walks and 40 runs in 52 innings spanning nine games. But the most important number is 17 unearned runs allowed.

Also of note is the play of freshman Taryn Hensel (Marion, Ohio/Ridgedale), who leads the Tigers with 10 appearances. She has a 1-3 record and an ERA of 4.60. Her pitching performance against Wilmington earned NCAC Pitcher of the Week honors on March 28.

Next: 4/6 @ Ohio Wesleyan, 4:30 p.m.

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Stephanie Zorn

The 2005 Wittenberg softball team is off to a slow start with nine losses in 10 games, but that doesn't mean the Tigers have failed to be competitive. Four of Wittenberg's losses have been by two runs or less, including two on walk-off hits.

Most recently, Wittenberg dropped both ends of a doubleheader at Thomas More on Thursday. In both games, the Tigers held leads into the late stages, only to have Thomas More rally for victories.

The problem isn't offense for Wittenberg, as five players are hitting .300 or better. The leaders are senior Ashley Lands (Dover, Ohio/Dover) with a robust .548 batting average (17 singles in 31 at-bats) and sophomore Stephanie Zorn (Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville) with a .500 batting average and team-bests of seven runs batted in and eight runs scored.

The Tigers' defense has been suspect and the pitching less than dominating, a tough combination for a young team. Wittenberg has eight more errors than its opponents currently and an earned run average almost double its opponents.

It doesn't get any easier for the Tigers, who lost to three nationally ranked opponents on their Spring Break trip to the Sunwest Tournament in Orange, Calif. Wittenberg next travels to perennial powerhouse and nationally ranked Muskingum for a doubleheader on Saturday.

Next: 3/19 @ Muskingum, 1 p.m.

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Wittenberg Picked To Finish Third In NCAC Softball Preseason Poll
CLEVELAND, Ohio — 2004 Tournament and regular-season co-champion Allegheny emerged as the preseason favorite in balloting by North Coast Athletic Conference softball coaches in their annual preseason poll. Read More ...

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Ashley Lands

The 2005 Wittenberg softball team hopes to keep the ball rolling and take back the North Coast Athletic Conference. The Tigers are coming off two solid seasons in which they were in the NCAC regular season and tournament title chases throughout, but they are looking to take home the championship this year. Ten returning players are back in the fold and, combined with a solid recruiting class, Head Coach Becky Hall hopes she has another contender in 2005.

The Tigers will miss 2004 NCAC Player of the Year Carmen Montgomery and two other seniors. However, the 2005 edition of the Tiger softball team hopes to overcome those losses, led by three seniors and a super sophomore. That group starts with pitcher/utility player Norah Gillam (Canfield, Ohio/Canfield), a three-time All-NCAC selection and the only active player on last year's NCAC 20th Anniversary All-Decade Team. Versatile senior Jen Meyer (Solon, Ohio/Hathaway Brown) returns to the top of the lineup and the infield this year. Senior outfielder Ashley Lands (Dover, Ohio/Dover), who hit .356 a year ago, and sophomore shortstop Stephanie Zorn (Grapevine, Texas/Colleyville), who ranked among the team leaders in almost every offensive category last year en route to second-team All-NCAC honors, are the other top returning players.

Gillam, who led Wittenberg with 11 wins and a 2.00 earned run average in 2004, is the team's unquestioned ace on the mound, and she will be backed by sophomore Grace Wigton (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Christian), who appeared in five games while posting a record of 1-1 a year ago. The Tigers will also receive pitching support from freshman Taryn Hensel (Marion, Ohio/Ridgedale) and sophomore Meghan Campbell (Marion, Ohio/Ridgedale), who did not take the mound last year in her role as a reserve outfielder.

Sophomores Jamie Bockelman (Enon, Ohio/Greenon) and Erin Collinsworth (Springfield, Ohio/Central Catholic) will split time at catcher in 2005. Among those battling for time alongside Meyer and Zorn on the infield are freshmen Amy Myser (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) and Sarah Fetters (Maumee, Ohio/Maumee) and sophomore Courtney Dancer (Swanton, Ohio/Swanton). Fetters will get looks in the outfield as well, as will freshmen Nicole Ottavi (Columbus, Ohio/Whetstone) and Kristin Sprecklemeier (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) and sophomore Lucy Huelsman (Wellington, Ohio/Wellington).

With nine of the first 11 games away from home, including eight on a Spring Break trip to Orange County, Calif., the Tigers will be tested early. The season opens with a Monday morning game against Lake Erie.

Next: 3/7 vs. Lake Erie, 10:30 a.m.
Orange, Calif.