Box Score
CLERMONT, Fla. – The Wittenberg University softball team pounded out 12 hits and rode the three-hit shutout pitching of senior Rachel Ross (Westerville, OH/South) as it defeated Rutgers University-Camden, 9-0, in a five-inning game Saturday afternoon at the Dot Richardson Spring Games.
It was the Scarlet Raptors' first loss of the season, dropping their record to 3-1. Rutgers-Camden had won an earlier game on Saturday, 5-1, in nine innings against No. 20-ranked Babson College. Wittenberg, a school from Springfield, Ohio, improves to 8-1 with their fourth consecutive victory. One of those wins came against No. 24 Ithaca College.

The Tigers put the game away early, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first inning, aided by five hits, two stolen bases and four passed balls. Sophomore shortstop Loren Combs (Cincinnati, OH/Turpin) opened the Tigers' inning with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. She scored on a single to center by senior centerfielder Laura Rose (Riverside, OH/Stebbins). Rose also stole second and reached third on a passed ball. She scored on a one-out single up the middle by senior third baseman Kaitie Harrison (Springfield, OH/Kenton Ridge). Before the frame was over, the Tigers had added three more singles, including an RBI hit by freshman rightfielder Abby Baker (Canfield, OH/Canfield) and a two-run single by freshman second baseman Casey Hobbs (Fairborn, OH/Carroll).

Combs singled, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball again to open the second inning. She scored on a sacrifice fly by Rose.
In the third, the Tigers had two hits, including a run-scoring single by junior leftfielder Shelby Knapp (Springfield, OH/Springfield). They added two more runs in the fourth on an error, an RBI double by Ross and a run-scoring single by Harrison.

Ross, meanwhile, limited the Raptors to three singles, while striking out four. She didn't walk a batter and raised her record to 5-0. The Raptors' lone hits were a first-inning single by sophomore rightfielder Cait Eltzholtz (Bellmawr, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) and second-inning hits by junior shortstop Krystine Rice (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) and senior catcher Gabby Colon (Buena, NJ/Buena Regional).

Raptor freshman starter Sydney Allen (Magnolia, NJ/Sterling) worked the first three innings and took the loss, evening her record at 1-1. She allowed nine hits, seven runs (five earned) and one walk. Freshman Allyson Potts (Bordentown, NJ/Bordentown) worked the final frame, allowing three hits, one walk and two runs, one of them earned.

Rutgers-Camden will try to bounce back on Sunday when it plays two more contests at the Dot Richardson Spring Games. The Raptors face the University of Southern Maine at 9 a.m. and Western Connecticut State University at 1 p.m.